En Pointe
by GingerWombatkat
Summary: For Beyond the Pale: The treaty left Bella his slave, but serving a vampire who demands perfection is a challenge. BxE VERY DARKWARD, Mature content, read at your own risk.
1. En Pointe

**Beyond the Pale Contest**

**Title: En Pointe**

**Pen Name: Wombat Kat**

**Characters: Bella, Edward**

**Disclaimer:**** Twilight and all related content belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

**This is not the way a functional BDSM relationship operates. If you're interested, then do some real research on the topic. FanFic has no bearing on real life. **

**There is some really squicky content here. I've pushed a few people's limits. If you can't handle it, close the window now.**

**Image that Inspired You: #16 Ballet Slippers on the Bed.**

**To see other entries in the Beyond the Pale Contest, please visit the C2 page:**

**www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Beyond_the_Pale_Contest_Entries/83159/**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta, MaleficentKnits, my ballet beta, moderndancemama, and my prereader, Aleighy for making this squicky little fic possible. **

**From Wiki:**

**En pointe** (**pointe**) means "on the tips of the toes" and is a part of classical ballet technique made possible by specially reinforced shoes called pointe shoes or toe shoes.

* * *

I walked through the student union with my sausage biscuit and the iron rich protein shake that I had to drink every morning. My first class had already started and I needed to find a place to lay low until it let out. _He_ had a way of being everywhere. I wondered if all vampires did that.

"Bella," Edward's sweet, velvety voice flowed into my ear, his breath tickling the hair on the back of my neck. _Speak of the devil. _I was paralyzed with fear and a much more decadent longing. I wanted this man even though he scared me.

"Yes?" I breathed my one word answer carefully. He was angry. I could feel it in his stance.

"You aren't in class," his whisper turned into a low growl. I could feel the vibration of his voice all the way down my spine. It settled around my tail bone and did delicious things elsewhere.

"It's too late to go in. Professor Jones locks the door at five after," I answered quietly, knowing full well that this excuse would not be accepted. I tried to step away and his arm quickly shot around my waist, holding me to him.

School was something that Edward was very insistent upon. I would attend college and I would do well, or there would be consequences which were generally maddening and painful. He wanted vampiric perfection out of me, a lowly human.

I hadn't intended to skip class, but it happened. It was a failure of some form on my part no matter how it occurred. I was only allowed to miss if it was at his bidding. I would surely be losing my truck in addition to whatever punishment he devised. I'd have to ride with him every morning.

His finger trailed over my ear, down my cheek, then the corner of my chin, to the soft skin of my neck. It would take so little pressure for him to break the skin. He'd done it before. He scratched the surface and sucked on the tiny nick.

"_Just a taste," he murmured into my neck. "We only have a little time to enjoy this."_

_I winced at the pain of his fingernail dragging through flesh. When I first came to be his pet I tried to fight it when he caused me pain. I learned over time that accepting it, and riding the pain like a wave in the ocean, was less traumatic. I even grew to enjoy it sometimes._

_His lips closed over the incision. It was just behind my ear, easily hidden by my hair. I writhed unintentionally and his hand seized my wrists, pinning them close to my body. He pressed his body down on mine to still any motion. _

_In this position I could feel him. I could feel his reaction to my soft, warm body, and my blood. He was hardening against my thigh. I'd never felt him like that before. I gasped, and he bucked his hips slightly. _

_I moaned as I felt my body temperature rising. He was freezing cold but I was searing hot. I felt like my wrists should melt his icy flesh. My heart rate increased and it was his turn to moan. My blood was flowing faster and closer to the surface. He ground into me harder. My breath started to come in short panting bursts. _

_Edward readjusted his body carefully, never breaking contact between his lips and my neck. He settled his hips over mine and parted my legs with his. _

"_Oh shit!" I cried. It was too much. His unyielding body applied so much more pressure than I'd ever felt. He gently rocked his pelvis and I could feel something building. I was uncomfortable, my body squirmed underneath him, but he kept me down. I had no control._

"_Stop. Stop. Stop," I chanted._

_He didn't. The uncomfortable sensation deep in my stomach grew. I recognized what it was as I felt myself come apart. This is what an orgasm was supposed to feel like. I'd always wondered what the big deal about sex was. Jake and I had done it but I'd never felt __**that**__. With Jake things were nice, sweet, gentle. Intimacy was soothing. He always made love to me. This was a different animal entirely. I wondered what it would feel like to have Edward..._

"We're going home now." He turned me around and led me to his car. My legs trembled. I knew that this could be very bad. He was quite angry and that didn't bode well for any form of enjoyable torment. If I was lucky, and took my punishment well, then perhaps he would feel inclined to reward me later. That was a big "if."

I never knew how Edward would react to a given situation. He was so mercurial that his mood swings gave me whiplash. He was pleased when I was obedient – which wasn't often – unless he wanted me to fight. The problem being that I never knew when he wanted me to fight and when I was to submit. Being the pet of a moody vampire could fuck with a girl's mind.

I hadn't always been a pet. I was loved in a much more reasonable, traditional way before. Jake was gentle and kind and really too nice to be taken seriously. We were together for most of our young lives, but one couldn't force imprinting. Everyone expected it to happen, but it never did.

Meanwhile, Edward watched me. He lurked in the forest around Forks, Washington, waiting for the right time. He was initially sent to spy on the Quilluete tribe for his masters in Italy. When the Volturi attacked, he was the one who negotiated the truce between vampires and werewolves. He asked for something a little extra – me. Aro allowed the indulgence, and Sam grudgingly agreed with my consent.

"_There is no way in hell that you're going through with this, Bells!" Jacob roared in protest. _

_I was fastening the catch on my cloak. Edward had sent clothes for his new toy to wear. I laughed at the virginal white. Surely he didn't think that he was getting a virgin. He was going to be sorely disappointed._

_I turned from the window and laid a hand on Jacob's cheek._

"_I will do what must be done." It was the same thing that I'd said to him hundreds of times before. There was no future for us. I wasn't his imprint, and the tribe wouldn't allow him to marry me. The best I could be was his mistress. _

_The situation was never ideal. I seemed to be doomed to a life I didn't want either way, but at least if I went with Edward then my friends would be safe. It was better this way._

_Jacob dutifully led me to the treaty line. It was too dark for me to see across "no mans land" to the side with the vampires. I dropped his hand and bravely stepped forward. The dewy grass soaked my satin slippers. I could feel mud squish around them and cake into the hem of the long cloak and dress. I tripped once and caught myself with my hands on the ground. I rose and resumed my march into the unknown._

_I reached Edward. His disapproval of my appearance was readily apparent. I also made another mistake; I looked him in the eye. He growled and slapped me hard across the cheek. I didn't taste blood but I could feel the bruise forming under the surface of my skin._

"_Have you no manners?" he growled. "You will learn to respect me and my things."_

_I blinked at him, not comprehending his words. Within moments I was whisked into a car, strapped in and driven at incredible speed to the Cullen mansion. He dragged me from the car by my upper arm, into the house, up the stairs, and into a room – his room perhaps. _

"_I'm without proper facilities to punish you here, so we'll make do," he grumbled. "Strip."_

_Strip? I cringed at the thought of what he was going to do to me. I hesitated._

"_Isabella, you'll find that my patience is very thin. It would behoove you to obey my orders quickly and without question." He moved behind me so quickly that I couldn't track his movements. He shoved his hand into the intricately pinned curls at the back of my head and pulled – hard. "You will disrobe before these filthy clothes stain my carpet."_

_He shoved my head down and released my hair. My fingers shook on the clasp to the cloak. I didn't fare much better with the zipper at the back of the white dress. I got it down far enough to slide it off. My slip and underwear remained. I thought that I was undressed._

"_The rest," he ordered from across the room. The sounds of popping and ripping accompanied his voice. I fought with my bladder and begged it not to void in fear. Whatever he was doing didn't sound good. I pulled off my slip slowly. It was snug and caught around my breasts. When I'd tugged it over my head I removed my underwear and unclasped my bra, allowing it to slide down my arms._

_I was completely bare, alone in a room with an angry vampire and I didn't know what to expect._

_Perhaps a lifetime as Jacob's mistress, waiting for him to imprint one day and leave me wouldn't have been so tragic. I would have been treated well for whatever time I had before being discarded. This, on the other hand, seemed like a very unhealthy situation that I'd gotten into. I reminded myself that I was doing this for more than just me. My sacrifice cemented the agreement and would save the pack._

_My arms were crossed over my chest. My body shook. _

_He was next to me again._

"_Arms."_

_I held them out to him. In the briefest of moments my wrists were tightly wrapped together in some sort of black cable – a power cord. It bit into my skin. He left a tail on the end and used it to jerk my body forward to the couch. He shoved me face first over the back. I was barely tall enough for my toes to touch the ground. The leather was smooth and soft, it felt nice on my skin. I relaxed for a fraction of a second. Something hard settled over the backs of my knees. It held me in place. The edge was uncomfortable._

"_You will receive ten lashes for sullying your clothes, and another ten for looking me in the eye," he whispered into my ear. "If you cry, I will add more. Count."_

_I was already on the verge of tears before he started. They pricked at the corners of my eyes. I had never been struck by anyone before, and I was afraid._

_He started without any further warning. Whatever he'd fashioned to strike me with was thin and flexible. It cut into my flesh and stung. _

"_One." By some miracle I managed to keep my composure until we reached six._

"_Six," I sobbed. I couldn't hold it back any more. My bum and legs felt like they were on fire._

_By ten I could barely hold still; the soft leather of the couch held no comfort. At fifteen he put his knee into my back to hold me down. He was hard and cold. Twenty came out as a croak from deep in my throat. I couldn't count any further. He continued without me. I passed out before the end._

There were several more beatings like that for minor infractions. Over time I learned not to look at him, not to speak unless spoken to. I learned to kneel and beg and plead.

It had been almost a year and punishments changed. I was mostly punished for clumsiness and tardiness. He'd also gotten more creative.

When he collected my personal effects from my father he found a pair of toe or pointe shoes. Renee and Charlie both insisted that I continue ballet lessons even though they never seemed to affect my clumsy nature. No matter how much grace and class they tried to inject into my life, I was still awkward.

I could see the gleam in Edward's eyes as he had me explain the shoes. It was one of the rare occasions when I was forced to look at him while I spoke. Whenever Edward felt like I was lying to him I had to let him see my eyes. I couldn't keep any secrets. He didn't believe that the shoes belonged in my bag, but the prospect of forcing me to wear them thrilled him. I would almost rather that he whipped me. The shoes were torture devices. I'd mistakenly let that slip from the recesses of my mind. The comment came out like word vomit, and I couldn't take it back. Suddenly, he felt that it was appropriate for his pet to dance.

He signed me up for private lessons and he watched as I tried and failed time and time again. Failure was of course punished with a spanking after the lesson. It was milder than the whip but still painful. However, I started to like it. The waves of pain cresting and falling brought on euphoric feelings. The more he did it, the more pleasurable it became.

Edward also started to touch me in more tender ways. A caress here, a kiss there, they all led up to him drinking from me. He started small, with kissing in his bed – where I slept because he didn't have a use for it. He progressed to fondling and petting before finally breaking my skin and rubbing me to orgasm while he sucked.

He said my blood tasted even better that way. The oxytocin released during orgasm made it sweeter. He whispered to me that it was like candy.

The car halting outside his house interrupted my musing. I followed him meekly to the bedroom. He moved so quickly that I was far behind him. He knew that I'd never run. I would always follow.

Upon entering the room, I found my pointe shoes laid out. I groaned before I could stop myself.

"Isabella," he scolded.

"Sorry. Your pet will take her punishment." I ducked my head and sat down on the bed to put them on. He hadn't asked me to remove my tights, so I left them on, fearing that the punishment could get worse. I wrapped and tied the ribbons on my shoes, tucking in the ends. Once my shoes were secure I stood in position, waiting for his instructions.

Edward walked around me and slid a cold hand up my thigh, under my short, floral skirt, and between my legs. He pressed lightly and I gasped. I remained still with my head down.

"We'll play later, Pet. I have needs that you will meet after you've accomplished the task at hand." He removed his hand and lifted my shirt over my head, exposing my pale stomach and the white lace bra that I wore. The bra snapped off of my body. I gasped at the feeling. The sting settled into my lower half.

"On the bed," he said.

My brow furrowed and I risked looking at him. _The bed?_

"Are you deaf? Stand on the bed," he growled.

This was a bad idea. Standing _en pointe_ on a steady, hard surface was challenging enough but the bed was soft. I wouldn't be able to retain my balance. My mouth opened and closed several times making silent protests as I climbed up.

"All the way up," he stroked my calf.

I brought myself up onto my toes and struggled to hold still. I slid my right leg out slightly. My ankles shook, causing the bed to rebound.

"5th position, Isabella," he chided. The bastard knew it wasn't possible. As soon as my feet were in position I tipped violently and placed my left foot out flat on the bed to prevent a fall.

"I have something to hold them still." He smirked at me and produced a long, champagne colored ribbon from his pocket. He wrapped it around my legs and tied it tightly.

I was going to fail.

And fail I did. The second he released my legs I fell over onto the bed. He lifted me back to my feet. I struggled against the ribbon to get my feet back into position and my arms over my head. My ankles began to wobble before I straightened up.

Edward released my legs. I widened my position slowly and carefully to the extent that the ribbon would allow. Edward narrowed his eyes. I caught myself looking but fortunately hadn't made eye contact. The wobble grew more pronounced. My feet were shaking the entire bed.

"Be still, Isabella," he commanded. I tried fruitlessly. The bed was making my ankles sore. There was no way to hold the position. Tears threatened to spill over.

Edward wanted failure.

I cried when I fell. I struck the bed with my fists.

"Do you understand the lesson?" he leaned over and spoke in my ear.

"No, your pet doesn't understand," I cried into the mattress.

"I gave you an impossible task, yes?"

I nodded, turning my head so that he could see my face.

"It's impossible to learn if you don't attend class," he growled. "Now, you will get up and you will hold fifth position on the floor."

I sniffled and pushed up from the bed with my arms, rolled over and slid my feet off of the bed. He knew I could only hold the position for a few seconds. Now that I had learned my lesson perhaps he would be kind. I scoffed internally at the thought.

Fifth position.

I stood on the floor, shifted my feet into the correct position and sprung up onto my toes. My arms came up over my head into an oval automatically, _en haut_. I focused on a point across the room, the box on his desk where he kept some of his smaller torture devices.

"Very good." Edward crossed the room to the box, and pulled out an item that fit in his hand. By the time he returned my balance was growing shaky. He had not given me the opportunity to stretch beforehand. I tried to readjust to relieve some of the pressure. He knew. Damned perfect vampiric recall told him that my feet were ever so slightly wider apart than when he left.

"You moved," he said.

Of course I had moved. Standing on the bed had already stressed my ankles and compromised my ability to stay stationary. He held out his hand and showed me what he'd pulled out of the box.

Nipple clamps.

They weren't the nice kind either. These were clover clamps, designed to tighten when the chain was pulled. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Rest for a moment," he said just as my feet dropped to the floor. I let out a breath and forced my calves to relax while they could. My ankles were protesting fiercely. I wished that my toes didn't exist, and to make matters worse, the arches of my feet were so sore that I could cry. I wanted to pull the shoes off and throw them at him.

I continued to breathe steadily in and out. If I passed out we would start over, most likely with the lesson on the bed. I had to do it again and do it well. This required concentration and proper form. I decided to take the opportunity to review while I could, and adjust as needed.

Fifth position _en pointe_ or _sous-sus_...

Legs turned out at the hips, check.

One foot in front of the other, check.

Heel of the front foot lined up with the joint in the toe of the back foot... I looked down to make sure, and adjusted my feet accordingly.

"Up," he ordered and I obeyed.

_'Don't sit in the shoe. Lift out of the shoe,' _I repeated the instruction in my head and made a concerted effort to support my weight not just with my feet and ankles, but my whole body, as I sprung back up onto my toes and brought my arms up. I hoped that I had it right.

He waited for me to steady myself on my toes. "Breathe in." Once I'd pulled in the breath he fastened a clamp to my left nipple. The air whooshed out of my lungs, and I struggled to maintain correct form.. "Again." We repeated the process.

I moaned and focused on the box across the room, trying to breathe and remain balanced. Focusing was difficult with the steadily building sensation that pulled a string tightly from my nipples downward. My feet were still, ankles quiet. They hurt like a bitch, but they didn't wobble. I smiled, satisfied with myself.

He pulled the chain attached to my nipples in retaliation.

"Down," he growled, placing a hand on my hip. I dropped down and sagged against him, as my feet gave out. "You're looking quite pleased with yourself." He reached down and pulled the ribbon from my legs. I _was _pleased with myself. My concentration had improved. If I paid attention I could do it.

"Take off the shoes." He pushed me to the bed. I bent over and felt the weight of the chain pull on the clamps and tighten them. I couldn't decide whether my feet or my nipples were suffering more.

I whimpered.

"The sooner you do this, the sooner they come off," he said.

I rushed to untuck the ends of the ribbons and untie them on each shoe in turn. My shoes were off quickly, the ribbons neatly arranged and set beside me on the mattress. I spared a brief moment to rub each foot, wanting rid of the clamps but finally deciding that the pain in my feet was worse. I sat up carefully, preventing the chain from snagging my tights on the way up.

Edward utilized his natural speed to stow my shoes. I was on my back before I realized that he'd returned to me. He removed the first clamp and blood rushed back into the nipple. I could still feel the thing compressing the tip. Edward sucked the nipple into his mouth. Removal was the best part about the clamps. I let out a series of little gasping noises as he rolled his icy tongue around. The other nipple was soon free and received the same treatment. I was panting, and praying that he'd want to drink from me because he would release the tension that was pulling tightly through my body. I felt like a string wound just to the point before it would break.

My panting changed to a fearful gasp when he brought out rope from under the bed. Rope was never good. It meant that he anticipated a struggle, or planned on restraining me for an extended period of time. I battled to calm myself.

_I haven't been bad, _I sobbed.

I pulled inward and focused on breathing steadily.

"Turn over," His tone was so casual that he could have been talking about the weather. Meanwhile, I was struggling to find sanctuary in my head from the fear. My response to rope was a Pavlovian spike of fear. I would work past it and find a quiet space inside my head, but I had to get there first. I rolled carefully and crossed my arms behind my back. This was familiar territory.

He started his intricate work on my arms, sliding the rope smoothly over my skin as he worked from the middle of the first length. I could feel my heart pounding. Edward had said "play" earlier. "Play" meant that he was going to drink, and he always made that enjoyable. The rope on the other hand wasn't for play. He always held me with his hands for that, because I was always a good pet while he was drinking.

_I'm good. I can be good._

The rope continued to slide over my skin as he tied knots at strategic points. I concentrated on the feeling of the rope instead of what it meant for my body. Edward was working slowly, he wasn't angry. If he had been angry I would have found myself already tied and suspended, gasping in shock, and trying to adjust to the situation. If it hadn't been completely out of character for him, I would almost have thought that he was giving me time to get used to the rope. He never cared about that kind of thing.

With my arms secure, he turned me over. I turned my head to hide the evidence of tears rolling down my cheeks. I knew that the act was pointless. He always seemed to sense when I'd been crying. I wondered if he could smell the tears, or if there was some change in my body chemistry that alerted him to my mental state. Nevertheless, I hid from him.

"Bend your knees," his voice was softer, like he was trying not to wake me. I drew my knees up just below my bottom. Edward grabbed my ankles and gently pushed them apart. He wrapped my legs in another series of carefully placed knots, forcing each leg to remain bent, and anchoring the ropes to the knots on my arms. I had almost found a calm state of mind by the time he finished. Edward pulled away and observed his work. He liked to look at me trussed up with the rope. Sometimes he would sit and watch as my muscles grew fatigued from being held in place. I instinctively tried to move and found that I was completely helpless. My state of mind slipped back to panic. I didn't want to stay like that all day. I thought that the lesson and the clamps were my punishment. I wiggled and tried to find a way to relax. My arms were uncomfortable with my weight on them, I was able to slide them slightly closer to the small of my back before feeling more tension.

Edward smirked as a writhed around a bit, trying to get more comfortable.

"Relax now my little pet. You have two choices: One, you do this willingly and I can make it good for you. Two, you fight and I might hurt you... unintentionally," he whispered. The fact that Edward was warning me that something might hurt did nothing to soothe me. He climbed between my legs, and placed my pillow underneath me, relieving most of the pressure on my arms. His eyes darkened as he ripped at my tights to gain access to me. The soft, white panties were the next thing that he tore. He left the skirt, pushing it up around my waist.

"This smells almost as good as it does when you bleed," he murmured into the skin of my upper thigh.

Over the course of the year he'd fed from me, yes. However, he preferred to do it during my cycle. I didn't understand what his reasons for it were, nor did I want to know.

_I was restrained in a seated position. There was a small ledge under my bum. Ropes held me perfectly still, lashed to the wall. I could feel the slight sensation of blood flow coming down. It would soon coat my lower lips. _

_He was there. He'd smelled it before it reached my inner lips. The trickle of fluid was hot. His cold tongue reached out and caught it. He sucked gently at my opening until it was gone for the moment. He licked up my slit to my clitoris and flicked it a few times, causing my legs to flex and my walls to contract. A fresh flow of blood rewarded him for his efforts. He lapped it up. _

_The sensations of alternating heat from my body and cold from his tongue drove me mad. He kept me tied and naked, changing my position every few hours and lapping greedily at my blood. _

_At the end of three days of near constant stimulation I was exhausted. I slept for a full day._

Edward gave me a quick lick with his cold tongue. My hips bucked up.

"I think you want this a bit too much, pet." He licked me again. "We're going to do something new today. You're going to let me have you like that dog has had you."

He meant Jacob. My arousal addled brain didn't completely process what he was talking about.

Edward removed his pants and slid up my body between my legs.

"You're wet, and oh so warm," he groaned.

His bare cock rubbed between my folds and I jumped. The information suddenly processed. He wanted me fully, like we hadn't done before. We were going to have sex. I tensed. I'd only ever done it with Jacob. He was warm and gentle, the antithesis of Edward.

"Isabella," Edward warned me. "If you don't relax then this will hurt you. I don't want to do any damage that will prevent you from being able to please me later."

He didn't want a verbal response. I focused inward again and tried to relax. He ran a cold hand up and down my side. I felt myself open. My legs relaxed along with my hips. I felt the tension in the ropes change, applying pressure slightly differently.

As soon as he sensed a release of tension, he was in.

Holy Hell, he was cold, so damned cold, too fucking cold. My body tensed again. His shaft was like marble, smooth and hard, and cold. Tears sprang up in my eyes, and I convulsed, pulling against my restraints. I couldn't pull in a breath. I panicked as I tried fruitlessly to expand my lungs.

"Bella, breathe," he ordered.

I couldn't.

I tried.

There was no air, just cold and hard between my legs.

"Bella, calm down and focus. Listen to me. This isn't painful, just cold. You can do this. You've taken everything I've given you. Don't fight the feeling. Breathe." He put his lips over mine and forced air into my lungs. It was strange and a little painful. He'd used a lot of force. "Relax."

I started to pull in air again. My lungs worked. My temperature was dropping and his was increasing. It was less uncomfortable.

"Good girl, that's my little pet." He kissed his way over to my ear. "Give yourself to your master. Remember that I own this body. You will let me take what I want from it."

I nodded. Resisting him only resulted in more pain.

He rocked his hips, testing the water. I could feel him sliding smoothly inside of me, like cold glass. I moaned and tried to get more. He continued slowly. His body stole more of my warmth. The movement of his cock inside of me was so gradual that the result was mindblowing.

"Please," I begged. Hopefully he wanted me to beg. I was willing to risk more time relegated to toe shoes in order to get more.

"What do you want, pet?" he asked softly against my neck. His nails broke the skin on my bare shoulder. I winced.

"I want more, please," I was practically crying.

"That's too bad. I'm enjoying your heat little pet. You're so soft, and warm, and slick," he whispered. His tongue ran across the bloody skin of my shoulder. "Right now, you're responding just enough to change your flavor." He tasted my blood and hummed. "Slightly sweet, like ripe fruit instead of candy… It's so good. Maybe I'll just move slowly like this forever."

My legs trembled.

"I can you know," he taunted me. "I can stay here and slide in and out of you for eternity. I could lap at your neck," he ran his tongue along the cut again for emphasis and my hips moved of their own accord again, "and have someone bring you food. I could make you stay like this, eat here with me inside of you, hold you here forever just on the edge and never give you full release."

I whimpered.

"Or I could be merciful."

_Please be merciful._

"Please, let me have more. Faster and harder please," I begged again.

"You will get to class on time."

He gave me a thrust. I moaned at how he filled me.

"You will be a good little pet."

He pushed twice hard and fast. I gasped and rolled my hips upward.

"You will study and please me at my leisure."

Hard and fast and smooth ... I felt the fire build in my stomach. Blood dripped from my shoulder and he licked it.

"You will remember your place or I will break the treaty. I will go back there and end that dog that you love."

I was at the precipice, ready to go over the cliff. It felt so wrong that threats were pushing me over the edge. He felt my muscles tightening, and he latched onto the wound he'd made in my shoulder. His fingers pried it wider. I came hard as he sucked and thrust harder. I didn't come down. My body was flying on a euphoric cloud as he continued.

Eventually, he'd had his fill. His hands slid down, fingers digging into my hips to tilt them to a new angle. I crested the wave of pleasure I'd been riding one more time. Then, the hard marble between my legs pulsed. It hurt, it felt fantastic, it flexed and undulated. I thought I was breaking to pieces. He shot freezing cold bursts into me, and I screamed in shock.

I shivered and writhed again as he pulled out. The ropes holding me down were sliced rather than untied. He'd never cut the rope before, even when I was in pain at the end of a long day. Edward was rushing.

"What's wrong?" I asked groggily through chattering teeth.

"Your body temperature is too low, and I drank more than normal."

He dropped an electric blanket over me and turned up the temperature, before disappearing into the bathroom. I heard water running.

The blanket did little to stop the shaking. It felt hot on my skin but didn't seem to warm me at all. My teeth were still chattering when Edward returned for me. The sound of water was gone. I blinked at him, completely confused. He'd only been a few seconds.

When he lifted me, he didn't feel cold, just cool. He carried me to the bathroom and slid my body into the water, wedging rolled up towels around me to hold my body into place. My head lolled back onto the edge of the tub. Edward went to work on my shoulder, stitching it carefully. He must have done a lot more damage than usual. I closed my eyes and ignored the feeling of tugging skin while he stitched. The water felt hot, like it was burning my skin. I thought about that instead of the needle. Neither sensation was pleasant. As I warmed up, I could feel the needle moving in and out of my shoulder more acutely.

He finished stitching and sat down on the floor, not touching me. Edward sat perfectly still, like a statue on the floor. After what seemed like an eternity of silence and stillness, he pulled me to a standing position – making as little contact as possible. He wrapped me tightly in a warm towel from on top of the radiator and carried me at arms length back to the bed.

The blanket and mattress were warm. I let out a soft sigh and sank into the bed. The next few days would be rest and high calorie food with Ensure to drink and tons of iron supplements. I began to doze off, but before the warm tendrils of sleep could wrap around my brain I realized the upside: I wouldn't have to attend my dance lesson.

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**End Note:**

**Anyone still with me? I'm sure I lost several of y'all somewhere between slavery and the "period cunny." Something to note, Bella could leave, there would be consequences for her actions, but she could run, and there are those who would welcome her back no matter what. It's not a choice she's willing to make. Please also note that she went to Edward freely, look at the conversation with Jacob.**

**Safety note: NEVER pull a restrained person by the wrists. This action could cause serious damage.**


	2. Recovery

**A/N: Hello darlings! It seems that our little pet Bella has more of a story to tell.**

**Thank you to MaleficentKnits for beta'ing and Aleighy for prereading.**

**YellowGlue, you're an evil wench and I love you for it.**

**Now, let's see what Bella has to say, shall we?**

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I tried to roll and couldn't move.

"Jake!" I called. I could feel him around my body. It was unbearably hot on the forest floor. He must have rolled during the night and pinned my arms. "Let me up," I protested weakly. I didn't have the energy for anything else.

_So tired._

_So hot._

My arms hurt. Jake needed to move. I pushed against his weight, but I'd never be able to move the sleeping wolf. His fur tickled my arms as I struggled. What use was it for him to sleep in wolf form if he wouldn't wake up? Didn't he do that to protect me?

"Jake, _up!_" I heard myself and opened my eyes. I wasn't in the forest covered in Jacob's furry body. I was in Edward's bedroom. A tear slipped down my cheek. I missed Jake, and his comforting warmth. I'd lived without my sun for about a year.

Thoughts of the past were best abandoned in favor of survival. I sniffed and reached to wipe the solitary tear from my cheek. I couldn't. My right wrist was tethered. I tried to use my left and found it even more securely held down. Both arms were under the incredibly soft, furry blanket that Edward reserved for when I was ill. I slept better under it, so long as I didn't think about the fact that it was probably real fur, and where it might have come from.

I looked around and saw a tube snaking out from underneath the blanket on my left, it was red. I followed the tube up to its origin on one of the hooks above the bed. Edward found the hooks to be convenient. I knew for a fact that each of them was anchored into the ceiling well enough to hold my full bodyweight. However, the hook held an IV bag filled with blood. Part of me wondered why he bothered to drink from me if he had access to a blood bank the whole time. _Couldn't he drink that instead?_

In my still groggy state I became aware of raised voices.

"…and one day you're going to kill her!"

"No, I'm not, Carlisle!" Edward shouted.

I hadn't seen Carlisle since my physical for school. To the best of my knowledge Edward hadn't maintained consistent contact with his sire since he'd obtained me. He still enjoyed access to their house and other benefits of being a Cullen, but they were unhappy about his involvement with the Volturi, and by extension, whatever he was doing with me.

"Then explain her state, Edward! You nearly drained her last night, and I don't think I want to ask you about the rope marks on her arms and legs, or the bruising," Carlisle fumed. "You can't do this to her!"

"She's mine, Carlisle. Aro said that I could ask for her and the tribe let me have her. This is none of your business," Edward hissed. "I can get another doctor to see her if you don't want to help." His voice dropped in volume as he climbed the stairs. He knew that I was awake and was coming for me. Hopefully, he'd let me get up to use the bathroom.

"She's a human being," Carlisle grumbled.

The pair came through the door and stopped talking. I wondered if they really thought that my hearing was that bad. Edward set a tray of food down on my dresser, and Carlisle came to me with a forced smile on his face.

"How are you, Bella?" Carlisle asked as he sank down onto the bed next to me.

"I'm fine."

Carlisle grimaced. "How are you feeling? Tired? Are you in pain?"

"I'm still sleepy," I responded. "Also, I'd like to use the bathroom." My face heated as the telltale blush spread across my cheeks. Edward didn't treat me completely like an animal. There were certain things that I didn't have to ask for, and this was one of them. However, being tethered to the bed made assistance necessary.

Edward was by my side quickly. He pulled the blanket back, exposing my nude form. I blushed even more deeply. Carlisle had seen me naked, this was nothing new, but it still made me feel terribly vulnerable, oddly more vulnerable than with Edward.

I distracted myself by looking at what he'd used to strap me down. They were restraints lined with soft material. One held my right wrist, another my left. A third secured my left bicep above the IV line. My stomach rolled when I looked at the line.

"I'm sorry we strapped you down," Carlisle grimaced again. "You were trying to pull the IV out in your sleep," he explained.

Edward's cold hand covered the inside of my elbow so that I couldn't see the bit of plastic and needle piecing my skin. He settled the bag onto my chest and carried me to the bathroom. He wasn't going to give me privacy. I understood why, but still resented it just a little. He was staying because looking at blood made me unsteady.

I accomplished my task quickly, and washed my hands at the sink. He held me there so I could clean my face. I was a mess. There were bags under my eyes; I looked weak and frail. My skin was pale, paler than usual. Edward's condition afforded me little sun exposure. He'd added vitamin D to my morning handful of pills, but that did nothing for my skin. I could see the little blue veins running just under the surface.

Markings that would have been present from the rope had faded. I could only see them because I knew where the rope had snaked across my skin. There was a hint of bruising on my hips, nothing worse than I received from his attentions in the past.

"It hurts you less when you don't fight the rope." He ran a finger around one of the faint marks on my arm.

My eyes met his in the mirror and I dropped them quickly. If I was bad while recovering he'd save a much worse punishment for later. Hopefully, my slip would be overlooked.

"Do you hurt?" he asked. "Look at me."

I brought my eyes back up as he gently encouraged me to step back from the counter. He was in front of me, examining me.

"Yes." Now that I was standing I could feel the soreness between my legs. It'd been a while since certain areas had been paid that much attention. Edward had been very aggressive. I was pretty sure that he was bigger than Jacob too, although I hadn't looked. I was certain that I would have tensed up more if I'd seen him. I didn't know if I wanted to do that again or not. I guessed that I would have to sooner or later.

"Carlisle will give you something," he said, grabbing the IV bag and lifting me back up off of my feet.

Back in the bedroom he hung the bag and sat me on the edge of the bed. I surreptitiously covered myself with my hands, and Carlisle turned away. Edward brought me my underwear, and helped me slip them on. He didn't supply anything to cover my chest, so my arm snuck back up over my breasts.

"Back under the blanket, pet," Edward spoke softly as he slid my body to the center of the bed. A stack of pillows had formed behind me so that I could sit. I couldn't decide if I was thankful for the change in position or not. Sitting put more pressure on my sore bottom.

I took a moment to catalogue how I felt, because I knew that he'd ask for a full account of my injuries as soon as Carlisle left the room. Everything would be properly treated. A vampire's pet had to be healthy. It never did make much sense to me to spend so much time making me well when he was just going to injure me again. I had to admit that the entire situation had me conflicted. Edward made me feel so good, but he also hurt me so much. My body was littered in small scars that he insisted I apply cream to on a daily basis in order to soften them up, and make them fade.

The soreness between my legs was a given. I'd already noticed it. My bum felt like I'd worked out. My hips, legs, and arms ached. A headache lurked at the back of my skull, as did an overwhelming fatigue. I could still feel the ropes on my skin.

Psychologically, I was confused. This was relatively normal. The same questions had plagued me since my servitude started: Why did it feel good? Why did I want the pain? While it was true that I took absolutely no pleasure in the ballet torture; I had come to enjoy the rest. I'd orgasm while he threatened me. He'd threatened Jacob, and it turned me on. I was really sick. I looked down at the arm covering my chest and held back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

Edward pulled the blanket up to cover me. The fur tickled my nipples when I moved my arm away; I made a concerted effort not to react. Edward smirked at me. He knew my body too well. A blush crept up my neck, covering my cheeks.

"You should eat," Edward retrieved the tray and sat it in front of me. My stomach churned just looking at it. He'd made minute steak - which was probably cold and barely cooked, eggs, and toast. I really hated toast. Edward often fed it to me. I would have much preferred plain bread. There was a cup of orange juice and a chilled bottle of Ensure. He'd also provided my morning pile of supplements; there were extra pills. I recognized at least one of them as a painkiller.

I took the pills, two at a time, with the glass of orange juice. Carlisle and Edward watched me carefully, especially when I took the painkiller. There would be no stashing that for an overdose later, not that I would, but Carlisle felt that I should be watched and Edward agreed. This morning hadn't been the first time I'd overhead vampires. They really had no clue how acute my human hearing was.

My first morning as Edward's pet felt like so long ago.

_I woke up to sunshine in my eyes. I was lying on my stomach, hands still bound with speaker wire stretched out in front of me, and tethered to a wrought iron headboard. I turned my head and was met with a pair of golden eyes. Alice Cullen was easy to recognize. I jerked back slightly, and gasped in pain. _

"_I'm sorry," she squeaked. "This wasn't supposed to happen this way, and I apologize for my brother's treatment of you. Please know that he has his reasons." She smoothed the hair off of my face. _

"_Why Alice?" I whispered._

"_I don't know, but I do know that if you stay that the outcome will be somewhat favorable," she grimaced. There was something that she was holding back. I didn't know her well enough to ask and trust her answer. She could have been there for Edward._

"_But he beat me," I whispered, as a tear rolled down my cheek. "I didn't even know I'd done anything wrong, and he beat me." A sob bubbled up in my throat and I choked it back down. I didn't know if he would punish me for crying._

"_He was harder on you than he meant to be," Alice whispered back, and brushed the tear off my cheek._

"_I can't stay." The sob that had threatened to burst from my throat made its way up. The floodgates were open. He had hurt me, really hurt me. I couldn't remember anyone ever intentionally causing me physical pain. I'd done enough of that on my own out of clumsiness but this was different. He wanted me to hurt._

"_Bella, if you leave him, there will be repercussions that you will not like. The consequences would be devastating," she sounded like she knew what she was talking about._

"_What do you mean?" I said shakily._

"_If you leave, then the treaty with The Volturi is null and void. People will die."_

"_Vampires or people?" I asked._

_Her face dropped into an uncharacteristic frown before she answered me, "both, Bella."_

_I dropped my head and pushed my face into the sheet underneath me. I could go. I could walk away and allow the war to continue. I wondered what would happen if I died. Surely, that wouldn't negate the contract. I was a human, that's what humans did, right?_

_Alice gasped. I looked up to see her horrified face._

"_Bella, please, please just accept this. If you don't fight him… If you surrender to the pain and try to make the best of it, I promise that it will be better," she babbled. "Don't over analyze how your body reacts to him, just feel, Bella. It's the only way."_

_I turned away, not understanding what she meant. She quietly left me to my grief._

"_Well, why do you think that is, Edward?" The shout came from downstairs. It was a woman's voice. _

"_You'll need to keep an eye on her." I heard the faint murmur of another voice._

"_Carlisle! You can't! She's not an animal! She has every right …" _

"_I'm not saying that he's right. However, her life must be preserved," the voice agued._

"_I'll keep it from happening," Edward growled. "Stay away from now on, Alice."_

"_I'm going to watch her, Edward. Certain things are inevitable, don't fool yourself!" she shot back at him._

"Isabella, eat," Edward ordered. I had hesitated while lost in thought. He was angry with me.

I quickly picked up my fork and the very dull knife that he allowed me to use, and cut into the steak. It was very pink. He'd barely tossed it into the pan before flipping it and pulling it off the heat. My stomached rolled in protest but I shoveled down several bites.

_There is no blood,_ I told myself, _don't look at it, don't taste it, just cut and swallow._

The meat went down. I ate the toast and eggs together, before tackling the disgusting chocolate flavored beverage in front of me. There was exactly one swallow of orange juice left in the glass. I could use that to clear the taste out of my mouth.

I hated that they watched me eat. Actually, Carlisle watched Edward and Edward watched me. I cleared my plate in record time. The tray was whisked away instantly.

Carlisle stayed to observe me for a few minutes. He patted me on the head like a small child, and excused himself after determining that I didn't need any further medical attention. Edward walked him out.

The pain medicine worked quickly. I felt the pain drain from my limbs, leaving behind a floating feeling. I shuffled down slightly and rested my head back on the pillows. The world was spinning slightly out of control.

Edward returned. I found the sound of the door amusing and started to giggle. Edward tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow at me. I giggled more.

"Isabella?" His lips twitched into a slight smile.

"I'm sorry," I giggled more as tears began to stream down my face.

"You're going to hyperventilate," he warned. He had started to grin in earnest, which looked strange on him. His face was normally frozen into a frown. "Breathe, Isabella."

I tried to gulp down air. It came into my lungs in shaky bursts, rocking my body. Through sheer force of will, I regained control.

"Good pet," Edward said as he slid onto the bed next to me. "Is the medicine working?"

I nodded, not wanting to risk speech for fear of another giggle-fit.

"I brought your homework." He indicated the textbook in his hand. "Can you read?"

I shook my head. I could barely focus on him, making sense out of the written word would have been impossible.

"Will you read it to me?" I asked.

"I will, now come closer, pet, and try to stay awake." He opened the book and I scooted closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder, so I could see the blurry diagrams in the book.

It was only about fifteen minutes worth of actual reading, during which Edward would pause to comment, or make sure that I was awake and understanding the material. The vast knowledge that Edward possessed always amazed me. I wondered why he bothered to send me to college. Most of the classes which he enrolled me in were subjects that he seemed to know better than my professors. I thought that if he would teach me himself that perhaps his demands on my time would be easier. After all, when he hurt me, then I wouldn't have to stay out of school and play catch up. We could just postpone the lesson.

Perhaps he wanted me to obtain an actual degree. Could that be his goal? It didn't seem important for a person in my position to obtain higher education. I could do what he wanted me to do without it. It didn't take much intelligence to eat my food, get tied up, supply blood, and orgasm occasionally so that the blood tasted better.

I blushed again at the thought. I was little better than a blood bank and his plaything.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured in my ear, his position had shifted suddenly to do so and I felt off balance. My head swam around a bit as he lost patience with me. "Isabella, tell me what you're thinking, my pet."

"I was thinking about my situation," I admitted, sobering up quickly.

"What exactly about your situation?" He was being gentle with me. Gentleness was almost worse than when he was coarse and demanding. It gave me false hope, and made me feel human. It also gave me the impression that he cared for me, when I knew he didn't. "You're blushing. I want to know."

He grasped my chin and turned it toward him. I kept my eyes down, focusing on his collar bone. Discussing what happened would be uncomfortable and embarrassing. That was what had caused the blush, the things that he'd done to me – the things I enjoyed.

"Eyes," he ordered.

I brought my eyes up as ordered to meet his crimson gaze. My heart started to beat ferociously, like it was trying to free itself from my chest. This was something that I could not talk about. It was positively mortifying.

"Now speak, pet."

A tear slid down my cheek.

"The things you do to me when you feed…" I tried to look away, but he made a noise as if he was clearing his throat. He and I both knew that he didn't need to, it was simply a warning. "It's upsetting," I finished.

"It certainly didn't seem to upset you yesterday," he said coolly. He was too calm. My face turned red again and my heart sped up. "I clearly remember you begging for more, harder, and faster. Why should it upset you the next day?"

"B…b…b…because…" I sputtered.

"Because?" he prompted, impatience lacing his tone.

"Because I shouldn't enjoy it," I admitted and tried to free my chin from his fingers. He refused to release me. "I shouldn't want to give that to you."

"I thought we were clear on this," he sighed and let me go, only to lay on top of me, trapping me nose to nose with him. I felt a spike of arousal shoot from my stomach outward at the contact. I breathed in a few short bursts of Edward-scented air. "You do things because I want you to do them. You enjoy this…" he reached under the blanket and palmed my left breast. I gasped. "… because I want you to enjoy it."

He was simmering under the surface, I could feel it.

"Now, since it's been almost a year and you still haven't grasped this concept, perhaps we need to intensify your training." He pinched the nipple between his fingers and my hips collided violently with his. "You need to see that what I do to you benefits me."

I whimpered. He was getting me worked up again. I knew that he wouldn't drink because he had the night before. I couldn't make sense of why he was teasing me. His cold, hard fingers slid further under the blanket between us.

"Stop pretending like you don't want this. Let go. I'm in control here, not you," he growled. His fingers slipped into my underwear. I closed my eyes. "I'm still here, even with your eyes closed."

I groaned, and then whined as his fingers slid effortlessly between my lower lips. His index finger made silky smooth circles over my clit and I bucked up again.

"This feeling is something that I need to give you. I thought you understood that." He moved his finger faster. My body heated immediately in response. I was so warm and he was so cold. "I'm the only one to truly see you, feel you, make you let go. You like this because you should. The guilt is something that you have to release. I can do things that The Dog can't even accomplish in your dreams."

I wanted to tell him that he didn't know my dreams. However, two things stopped me. The first was that my dreams of Jacob were all fairly chaste. The second was the fire slowly building in my abdomen; a sheen of sweat started to coat my body.

I started panting, and could feel my muscles tighten just in time for him to rip his hand away from me. I opened my eyes, so frustrated that I was on the verge of tears.

"I don't need it, and you don't want it," he said before rolling off of me. He pulled the blanket back and replaced the restraints on my arms.

"You need sleep, and I can't have you pulling on the IV," he explained. The blanket was replaced and he turned out the lights before leaving me in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. The only light was the bit of midmorning sun that crept through a small crack in the curtains.

I lay there, completely frustrated for what felt like hours before my body finally gave in to sleep.

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**End Note:**

**Okay, now don't throw stuff at me. It was ALL Edward. He's the cockblocking tease who felt that he had to make a point, bastard.**


	3. Control

**A/n: Now, don't get spoiled, people. I had to let off some steam this week and this is where it came out.**

**Thank you to Mistress Mal for beta'ing and the beautiful Aleighy for venturing a little more deeply into kink than she normally would to preread this.**

**Twilight isn't mine.**

**Warning****: Do not try this at home, unless you're really into pain. It could backfire and go wrong. The squick factor on this chapter is a bit high, but I figure that you have a strong stomach if you're still with me.**

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I had to admit that it was intentional. I completely shut off my body and retreated into my brain as he tried desperately to get some sort of reaction out of me. Edward was furious. I refused to look at him even though he held my chin in his hands. He was growling and snarling, and I didn't care.

_I'm not yours,_ I repeated in my head. The phrase was set on loop. He may have bartered for me, and I may have been awarded to him, and although I had gone willingly, the yolk of being Edward's slave was chaffing. It wasn't just the sex that had shaken me, or my reaction to the dark, dirty things that he did. It was the fact that I wanted more. I refused to admit it, but I wanted to be more than his slave. I needed more; I wanted to be his lover. The thought fucking scared me back into my right mind. There was no way in Hell that I would allow Edward Cullen to have that kind of power over me.

So, I denied him the one thing that I could: my arousal.

It was the only thing that I had willingly given him. I had given in to his lips and hands on my body without coercion because I wanted it. I wanted him to take away the sting of what he did to me, who he forced me to be, so I let him have that of my own free will because I got something out of it.

I had to admit that it was a difficult task. I had to work at either not feeling at all, or only pain. He was most likely on the verge of pulling me out of school so that he could work at this full-time without the hindrance of having to dress me and deliver my aching ass to class – he did take my truck.

It had been three weeks since we last had sex, one day shy of three weeks since he brought me to the brink only to leave me frustrated, tied to the bed. I'd had my period, shutting off for those few days hadn't been difficult. I focused on the cramps or the ropes instead of his lips. He changed my position, tying me face down to a bench in the basement, and whipped my ass raw. His intent was to break my mental block, force me to feel pleasure, like he knew that I normally did. I didn't. Edward would have to work for his snack, the bastard. As far as I was concerned, the kitchen was closed.

Days later, it was the nipple clamps. I had stared defiantly at the floor that day_. _Edward paced, and I could see him running his fingers though his hair, pulling at the roots from the corner of my eye. He stopped in his tracks, crossed the floor in a few too swift steps and pulled the chain. I cried in pain, and tears dripped down my face. He kept pulling until I felt like my nipples would surely come off.

I deserved this. I deserved pain for feeling aroused by his threats, for giving myself to a monster and letting him make me feel things that I never thought myself capable of experiencing. I should have felt that all-consuming arousal with Jacob.

The clamps were removed after several long minutes of torture. I screamed as the blood rushed back in and Edward closed his mouth around each tip in turn. He slid a hand down, still finding no moisture between my legs. He pushed his fingers roughly against my dry clit, and it hurt. I was sobbing when he finished, and laid me in the bed with no pillow or blanket.

At the end of the three weeks I was sleeping on the hardwood floor – tied to it actually. He'd installed some O rings and would tie me into one uncomfortable position or another before cinching me down onto the floor. I was sore all day long.

"Isabella," he snarled into my neck, still holding my chin. "This is something that you must give me." His free hand slid down my usually sensitive side and cupped my ass as he pulled me into him. I winced as his hardness prodded at me. "I_ need_ you to do this," he hissed.

I didn't even cry in response. I was too tired Sleeping on the floor, only to be woken by him trying to covertly arouse me while I was at my most vulnerable... begin beaten… had worn me out. I was utterly exhausted.

He gave me a light shove, sending my bound form into his chair at the desk. He secured my legs to the chair then disappeared for a few minutes. I let my head loll back relishing the feel of padded leather. It seemed like eternity since I'd received any comfort. The feeling of the soft, smooth leather on my bare, heated skin nearly lulled me to sleep.

But my tormentor returned all too soon.

"Dearest little pet, I didn't want to have to resort to this, but you give me no choice," his tone was sinister. "Perhaps I should have resorted to this sooner, but time is of the essence and I must find a way to break this willful streak of yours." He held up a bowl with something in it.

I could smell food, which was odd. How exactly was he going to use food to break me? It's not like he would ever starve me; I had to be healthy in order to produce good quality blood. I had to be strong.

The bowl clinked as he set it down on the desk. I didn't even bother to look at it. I could hear his fingers touch the side as he pulled something out. The smell intensified, it was spicy but citrusy and sweet at the same time. I wanted to roll around in the scent.

"You're forcing me to use something from my Victorian roots," he murmured into my ear as he leaned down, caressing my body with a cold, nice-smelling lump of whatever the bowl contained. "You are either going to enjoy this enough to break this frigid streak, or it will to hurt bad enough that you'll give in, pet. I regret the necessity of using something like this, but you will relearn to submit to me."

He'd reached the dry, tender, delicate pink flesh between my legs. The cold slipped between my lips at the top and settled right over my clitoris. I gasped involuntarily at the suddenly freezing sensation. It caused me to pant for a second or two before I got a grip on myself.

"The cold will go away," he reassured me.

I squirmed slightly in the chair.

"You might not want to do that," he said.

Then, I felt it. Warmth. There was an overwhelming heat spreading from that spot.

"Oh, oh!" I called out, momentarily forgetting that I didn't want to vocalize any sort of reaction.

"I see that you've returned to me; perhaps you're one of the few who find this enjoyable. Good," he muttered gleefully.

The sensation intensified exponentially as seconds passed. I could feel my resolve crumbling as I panted and gasped and moaned. Then, the damn broke. I was wet – so wet. There was no fighting it, the warmth had built and taken on a slightly uncomfortable tingling sensation. I had no choice but to give in. I moaned rather wantonly.

"What is it?" I panted.

"It's ginger," he laughed, "a common root. Most people don't find it pleasurable, but you my dear Isabella are not most people."

"Please," I moaned.

"Please what, little pet?"

He was close, his face inches away from mine. Head thrown back, eyes closed, I was writhing in lust. Tension built from my core, through my body but it refused to snap.

"Please, please, please," I whined.

"Tell me what you want," he commanded.

"Touch me, make me come," I pleaded.

The restraints on my legs were removed, and I felt elated, he was going to make it stop. Edward was going to make everything better.

I was beyond confused when he bent me over the desk and pressed a hand into my back to hold me down. He was still fully clothed. I moaned and writhed to get his attention, begging him wordlessly to touch, taste, take. I needed him to use me.

His hand landed roughly on my left buttock.

"No!" I cried. This wasn't what I wanted. I mindlessly squirmed, trying to get out of his grasp, but his hand was wrapped securely around the ropes that intricately tied my arms behind my back.

"Never fear, pet, I will take care of you just as soon as you've been properly punished," he whispered in my ear.

His finger clinked into the bowl again. What was he going to do with more?

My legs were thrust wide apart, nearly reaching the table legs. I felt something very cold between my – oh he wasn't going to…

He wouldn't.

He did.

The ginger rather unceremoniously found its way into my ass.

I screamed.

I cried.

Then my ass clenched involuntarily and I repeated the screaming and crying. It hurt, it burned, but the warmth throughout the rest of my body didn't cease. The lust that had enveloped me before simply endured through the pain. I couldn't force myself to make the sensation stay painful. It felt good. Needless to say, my ability to find pleasure in pain had returned full force. I was back on the edge of the cliff.

I didn't even hear Edward remove his belt. When the leather bit into my flesh I yelled, and bucked in shock. He continued until I started moaning. It felt so good. I didn't want to fight him. Suddenly, my three week stint of keeping my arousal at bay seemed phenomenally stupid. Why had possessed me to do so?

Oh, the belt and the burn and the heat all felt so good.

I nearly came, but not quite.

The belt stopped slapping across my blissfully sore ass, and Edward turned me around to face him.

"Look at me, Isabella," he ordered. My eyes met his; they were dark, with only the slightest tinge of red gracing them. He was thirsty. "Are we done now?"

I nodded meekly without shifting my gaze from his eyes.

"Your temper tantrum has cost me more than you could understand," he growled. "Typically, I would feed from you now, but as you must be recovered in a few days, I can't. I have half a mind to give you more ginger and truss you up in your current state. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

I shook my head but it wasn't enough.

"Out loud," he prompted.

"No, I wouldn't," I whimpered. "I need to come so bad that it hurts." Tears of frustration slipped down my cheeks.

"Your defiance stops now. I don't care what's gotten into you, but from here on out you will give me what's mine, and your body is most certainly on the menu. Never withhold from me again," he growled and looked at me, waiting for my agreement.

"Your pet understands."

He continued to study my face for a few more moments before his face softened. He wrapped his arms around me and began untying my arms carefully, gently, slowly rubbing each spot where the ropes had cut into my skin. I dropped my too-hot forehead onto his shoulder. I was still so needy that I was shaking. The ginger in my ass was being nudged by the edge of the desk, causing a myriad of pleasurable and painful sensations as it shifted around.

With my arms free, he scooped me up and carried me across the room to the bed. I sighed at the sight of it. Edward pulled back the quilt, which had replaced my fur blanket as soon as I'd been well enough to get up, and pressed me down into the new electric blanket. He turned it on one handed. I didn't feel it begin to heat. I was still lost.

Edward spread my thighs and tossed away the offending sliver of ginger that had taken up residence on my clit. However, he left the other piece. In one clean motion his pants were down far enough that his erection sprang free. I snuck a quick peek at it, and confirmed all of my suspicions that Edward Cullen was indeed carved out of marble by a master.

He quickly slid into me, meeting no resistance. The cold felt so good. After the fire that engulfed my body from the ginger, he was sweet relief.

"Ooooh," I cooed.

"You feel so hot," he grunted.

"Cold, so nice, oh…" I was panting nonsensically. My ass was still burning, but the cold from his body was so soothing. He laid down completely covering me. I wrapped my legs around him, relishing the cold. My arms snaked around his back.

His arms slid under my back and gripped my shoulders for leverage. His thrusts came harder. The small soft noises that that been involuntarily coming from my now parched throat intensified. My body tensed from my neck all the way to my toes. My hips suddenly thrust upward, my legs tightened, an ecstatic wave of hot pleasure pulsed out of me as my muscles clenched uncontrollably.

My body finally began to relax when Edward let out a feral roar and sunk his teeth into the pillow next to my head. I felt cold shoot into me, and bucked slightly before my hips shrank from the sensation. The pillow was ripped from under my head, and feathers descended around me. Had it not been utterly frightening, it would have been beautiful.

I couldn't decide whether to cling to Edward or push him away. Confused, and uncomfortable, because he was still thrusting, now slightly painfully, I dropped my arms but left my legs in place out of fear. Moving them might result in a shift and possibly injury.

Eventually, he dropped back down on top of me for a moment before tearing himself away and standing in the far corner of the room. He looked frightened.

"What was that?" I panted, still trying to catch my breath from combined fear and lust.

"Stay here," he growled and fled the room.

* * *

**End Note: Um… so… yeah… I didn't cockblock you this time. I know it's short - get over it.**

**The ginger thing is a practice called figging. There are websites devoted to it. Truth and fiction aren't always similar, so don't blame me if you decide to do something potentially painful.**

**I promise you that there is a plot lurking in the background of this pervy little story. We're just stuck with what Bella knows and understands, which ain't much.**

**Thanks to Yellowglue and Writingbabe who wrote reviews for the Deviants blog. Mwah, darlings!**


	4. Fracture and Break

**A/N: I really meant to have this ready on Monday. I kind of lost all of my files in a tragic accident. However, the chapter has been recovered and beta'd. YAY!**

**Thank you Mistress Mal, for beta'ing, and listening to me lament about my lack of foresight to back up my work. **

**Thanks to Aleighy for holding my hand while I went through this chapter, AFTER she'd already preread it once.**

**AND… Major thanks to ModernDanceMama for once again teaching me something about dance, and even providing videos.**

**Hold on tight, this is going to be a bit bumpy, and long.**

* * *

Edward held my shaking body close to his and murmured an apology that I was positive I wasn't supposed to hear. I couldn't endure what he'd just allowed _that_ monster to do again. I'd reached my breaking point. I sobbed harder. My collarbone and or my left arm was broken; I couldn't see it, but I knew that bruising was creeping up around my neck and across the other shoulder.

_Fuck the treaty._

He'd been cruel, harsh and ruthless, but here was the end of my willingness to go along with this twisted game. I would allow the bones to heal, and then I would break the treaty and return to the safety of Forks if I had to walk the entire way. It was over. The wolves would have to prepare for war.

He'd been unusually nice for the three days that lapsed following "the ginger incident." I rolled over after he left that evening, still shaking. The front door slammed closed, then the burn in my ass spurred me to action. He'd left me on the electric blanket with a lump of ginger still lodged up there. I curled my knees into my chest and ran my fingers around the curve of a buttock to the crack. There was a decent size piece protruding. I pulled on it, and it wouldn't come out.

I panicked. It had to come out! There was no way that I would let Carlisle, no matter how professional he was, see _that_ or examine _there_. That would be more embarrassing than a pelvic exam. My pulse was too fast, and I couldn't breathe. I had to pull myself together. I forced myself to think about something other than my burning rectum.

The forest had been my quiet place, my refuge in Forks. I took my mind there, imagining the smell of pine sap and fresh rain. I hated the rain and the cold but in the brief time I'd spent in Forks the dense covering of trees had become comforting rather than intimidating.

My fingers reached the lump again and pulled. After a sharp tug, it slid out with little resistance. The burning was immediately reduced to minor irritation that I was sure a bath would fix.

I wasn't sure if "stay here" meant that I couldn't move or if I just had to stay in the house, but my sore muscles and irritated skin protested enough that I was willing to risk Edward's wrath. I wrapped the ancient quilt around my naked body and hobbled to the bathroom, not bothering to turn off the blanket, I would curl up under it soon enough.

I threw the nasty stub of ginger into the trash and ran bathwater. With the door closed and steam rising from the claw-foot tub, I dropped the quilt and examined my body. My bum was still red, which inexplicably made me a little weak in the knees, but there were no other outward signs of what we'd done other than the stickiness between my legs.

I shook my head and climbed into the tub, twisting the knobs to cut the water. There was no sense in wanting what I couldn't have, and I couldn't have normalcy with Edward. I more fell than sank into the water. Continuously tense muscles were not beneficial to my lack of grace. The water didn't quite wash away all of the aches and pains but I felt marginally better by the time it started to cool. I washed, dried, rewrapped myself in the quilt and returned to the bed. Crawling under the warm blanket was enough to lull me into an instant slumber.

_Fire. _

_We were in the woods and a huge fire raged in front of us. Edward's fingers unlaced from mine and I looked up at him. His eyes looked wet, even though I knew that it was impossible for him to cry._

"_Farewell, Bella," he whispered into my ear; his lips brushed my cheek._

_He turned and stepped into the fire. I reached for him, only to be held in place by a set of thick, dark, hot, masculine arms. _

"_Let me go!" I screamed and fought wildly. The hands wouldn't release me. I felt more trapped than I ever had with Edward's ropes. I needed him. I hated him, but I needed him._

_I heard him scream in pain and began to cry, fighting harder._

"_No, Bella," Jake's voice, slightly deeper with age, came from behind me._

"Edward!" I sat up in bed, cocooned in blankets. I was enveloped in a cold embrace, and felt the anxiety from the dream fade.

"I'm here. Right here," Edward stroked my hair in a soothing motion. When I'd calmed down, he leaned back to get a better look at me. His cool fingers ran down my cheeks, wiping away tears that I didn't know I'd shed.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I shook my head, turning my face away from him. I was hurt emotionally; I'd been in emotional pain longer than I cared to admit, but that wasn't the information he wanted.

"Let me look at you," he sighed.

I felt very vulnerable. I loved and hated him, balancing on the edge between the two emotions was difficult.

With his help, I shed the blankets, gradually exposing my naked flesh to the air in the room. It only felt cold. I knew that he'd turned up the radiator, because he always did. The vampire made my head spin with his insane contradictions.

His hands deftly explored my body, asking silently for me to turn over, so that he could examine my backside. He caressed me gently, then turned me back over. His fingers slid between my legs and pressed carefully. I winced at the pressure.

I refused to fully look at him as he explored a bit further. I caught his lips quirking into a grimace from the corner of my eye. He hadn't really hurt me, but flesh did tend to yield to marble. I was very tender.

When he was satisfied that he hadn't caused any permanent damage, he slipped off his sweater and slid it over my head. His fingers ran through my hair, pulling it out of the collar, and straightening it. He continued to fuss over me with gentle fingers. His sudden tenderness caused tears to leak from my eyes again.

"Eyes," he commanded in a tone that was soft but still meant business.

I turned my head and tilted it to meet his gaze and gasped, backing away from him on the bed. They were red, very red. His eyes were black when he left. Edward had killed someone. One of my hands flew to my mouth and the other to my chest, a strange huffing sound filled the room. My heart was pounding. Tears ran down my cheeks. He hadn't fed from anyone other than me in a long time. Someone was dead, and it was my fault.

"Nononono," Edward spoke softly but with a slightly frantic tone. He slid slowly closer with a hand outstretched like I was an animal. "He was a murderer, who deserved to die. I didn't enjoy killing him, but given the options, it seemed like the safest choice," he admitted.

I stopped scooting back. This wasn't good news by any means, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

"My eyes have to be red this week, not gold," he said a little more firmly. "I forgot that you'd be alarmed. I've grown somewhat secure with regard to your acceptance of my appearance. I didn't realize … I didn't mean to upset you."

He moved closer and his hand cupped itself around my neck. Edward's eyes were always red or black. I knew that his eyes changed when he fed, but I didn't know that there was an option other than red. I had thought that it was just him, Carlisle's eyes were gold, as were the eyes of the rest of his coven. Edward's eyes were red like other vampires – like the Volturi. I had assumed that it was because he was on the edge of that coven.

In truth, he'd kept me too busy to ponder much.

"You have a question, pet?"

"I'd just never thought about your eye color other than the fact that it indicated thirst," I shrugged. "Why wouldn't they be red?"

"We'll talk about it some other time," he muttered, turning away from me. "I brought you something."

He reached down next to the bed and pulled up a plastic bag. It was then that I caught a familiar smell: Italian food. While garlic did nothing to hurt Edward, he didn't like the smell, so I didn't eat it often, especially since he'd become affectionate with me. Affectionate was hardly the correct term but I settled on it, it was better than analyzing the relationship further.

"You're a very good girl," he said before he leaned in and kissed me. His hand slid from my neck and squeezed a breast through the sweater. I moaned.

"Uh uh," he chided, "you haven't had dinner. Eat."

I hated that he could do that. He could just turn off and dismiss me. He was already across the room doing something at the desk when I opened the bag. There were two boxes, a large foil container with a paper lid, and a smaller box. I peeked in the little box, and found a piece of chocolate cake. I hadn't had cake in months. I rather happily dug into my dinner, ignoring the slight twinge of heartburn that had started creeping into my chest. Heartburn or not, quality Italian food and chocolate cake were not to be wasted.

I slept in my warm, soft bed after dinner, and woke up in the morning to Edward handing me the keys to his car. He smiled and tilted his head a bit to kiss my cheek. I instantly felt manipulated. He was up to something, because this had to be more than him feeling guilty about leaving. That would have stopped with the food.

"Go directly to school," he ordered. "I have somewhere to be today, and I'll know if you stray. Don't give me a reason not to trust you."

At least his words seemed in character. I examined the keys in my hand. Was it a trap? Did he expect me to run? Was he giving me the opportunity?

With a quick kiss to my forehead, he moved away.

"You need to get moving," he announced and left. I heard him leave the house. He took his other car, the Vanquish, and left me the Volvo.

I got up on shaky legs and went about my business. I barely made it to class on time, but I was in class. The day went by without any word from him. I ate alone in the food court, getting myself a chicken sandwich – a fried one – with pickles. Edward wouldn't have objected but he wouldn't have approved either. However, there was a slight tang of ginger in my mouth and the sandwich seemed to be the least likely food to offend.

I felt like a normal college student, until I got home.

The Vanquish was parked on the grass and three black sedans sat in the driveway. I pulled up alongside of them, half in the grass, and made my way, slightly anxiously, into the house. I placed my bag and shoes into their respective cubbies just inside the door. Voices hummed from the living room. I walked to the doorway and waited to be acknowledged.

Edward had his back to me as he spoke to three vampires. There were others in the room but they appeared not to be listening.

"… I know that I've promised you a demonstration, but I assure you that now is not the time. I need two days," Edward quickly finished before turning to face me. I knew that he'd heard my heartbeat when I turned off the car.

"Come," Edward gave me a stern look and gestured with his hand. Hand signals weren't something that he'd used with me, there'd never been a need. I took the sweeping motion of his hand to mean that I was meant to kneel.

I approached, closed my eyes for the brief moment that it would take to swallow what little pride I had left, and knelt in front of him. He sat down in the chair behind him as soon as I was down. He patted his knee and I moved closer. A slight stiffening of his jaw told me that I'd gotten something wrong. His hand moved upward almost imperceptibly, so I took another guess and stood. I didn't have a moment to register his actions before I found myself sitting on his knee, facing into the room. I forced my eyes to focus on the floor, not knowing if I was allowed to look up. My hair swung into my face.

"So, this is the lovely Isabella?" a disturbingly smooth voice asked. "She must be rather special given all that you've abandoned, and are willing to risk."

I tensed, but Edward stroked my back underneath my shirt. It was meant to feel reassuring, and I knew that, but very little could keep me from becoming anxious. I was being observed by unknown vampires.

"She _is_ very special to me." I was shocked by the reverence in Edward's voice. It sounded like I meant something beyond an easy meal, or a plaything to torture at will. My face heated.

"She blushes. You must at least allow us to see the girl, Edward," a second, somehow scarier voice spoke.

"Isabella, pull your hair back from your face."

Lacking any sort of hair accessory, I pulled a pencil from my pocket. I secured my hair into a messy bun, using the pencil as a hair pin. The blush that graced my cheeks was creeping up to my ears and down my neck. My eyes were still trained on the carpet.

"Lift your head up but keep your eyes down," Edward whispered into my ear. I did as commanded.

"She's rather exquisite for a human, you really should contemplate changing her," a smooth yet disturbing voice commented.

"I've told you my reasons, and I don't feel that it's necessary to discuss the matter further, especially not in front of my slave," Edward said, his tone tightly controlled. They must have been arguing before I came home.

"Her mind is truly silent?" the voice asked.

"I cannot hear her," Edward responded.

"Perhaps she lacks the intelligence required for rational thought," the creepier of the two voices suggested.

"I find that hard to believe," Edward defended me, "she's capable of grasping advanced concepts, and can carry on an intelligent conversation when required."

"May I try?" The source of the smooth voice moved closer to me.

"Of course, Aro, be my guest."

I couldn't figure out what exactly Edward had just consented to. I knew that Edward could read the minds of everyone around him but mine, which is why he made me look him in the eyes to discern whether or not I was being honest with him. There had been a few instances early on when he had become angry at humans, particularly guys, when they looked at me. He had also explained that this was part of how he kept an eye on me when we were separated.

"Your hand," the smooth voice requested from in front of me. It wasn't a request, and I knew it. I shakily stretched my right hand forward, and was met with the cool, stone-like grip of the vampire in front of me. His hand tightened almost painfully around mine. I bit back a whimper.

"Look at me."

I obeyed. My eyes met the nearly black stare of a thirsty vampire. I forced myself not to shrink away from his gaze. His skin was smooth but seemed brittle. Frustration marked his features as he concentrated on doing whatever it was that he wanted to do to me. I felt nothing out of the ordinary other than soreness creeping into my hand from his fingers sinking practically into the bone.

"Enough, Aro," the creepy voice from across the room caused me to involuntarily shift my eyes. I took in a lot with that little shift. Aro, the one in front of me was both young and old in appearance. He had long black hair that he wore loose around his shoulders. I caught a glimpse of the vampire who belonged to the creepy voice, he was blond, and equally fragile looking. His hair was tied back with a leather thong. Both vampires were dressed in long black cloaks over black clothes.

I felt my eyes widen at my boldness and dropped them. Aro released my hand. It ached terribly, but I didn't show weakness by rubbing it. He moved back to his original position near the mantle.

"She is silent to me as well," Aro mused.

I felt rather than heard Edward growl from behind me.

"Now, Edward you must let me test my theory," Aro chided. He must have heard the soft growl. I couldn't figure out what else was exchanged between the two. "Have her stand in the middle of the room away from everyone."

"Not Jane," Edward growled again.

"Then whom do you suggest I use to test my little theory?"

"Alec."

"Fine, but I don't understand why you're so sentimental about this little _pet_ of yours. You've caused her pain yourself, I don't know why you feel that allowing Jane to have a little fun with her is any different," Aro sighed.

"She's mine, and I decide who has the privilege -"

"The human girl is only yours because we allow you to keep her," the blond vampire warned Edward. "The fact that my brother finds her fascinating merely secures her life for a while longer. You should cooperate, Edward."

"Of course, Caius. Go stand on the carpet, pet," Edward reluctantly ordered me off of his lap and gave my rear end a soft tap.

I stood and walked to the small area rug that lay in the middle of the living room. My hands shook as I waited for whatever torture was to come. I clasped them together and studied the pattern of vines and flowers on the rug.

It seemed like they were torturing me merely with the anticipation of pain that I knew was coming. The clock on the mantle ticked in a loud, torturous rhythm. I stood still, concentrated on my posture, kept my breathing even, in short I focused on anything I could other than waiting.

"You see, now we shall have Jane try," Aro broke the silence, causing me to jump.

I heard a giggle as a small female vampire skipped across the room. Her feet tapped out very little sound on the floor as she gracefully crossed the floor to stand in front of me.

"Thank you, Aro," she said with a smile in her voice.

The room was deathly still again. The only sounds were the ticking of a clock and my breathing. The vampires had frozen to stone as they were apt to do when they focused on a task. I looked at the small vampire's shoes in front of me. She wore something that resembled Mary Jane's only they had a wickedly high hell on them that would have caused me to tumble to my death before I made it three steps. She wore blood red tights with them and a black skirt that came to her knees, it was fluffy, like something a child would wear.

Her feet came closer as her hand jutted out to grab my chin. She tilted my face so that I was looking at her. Jane looked like a very angry little blonde doll. Her red eyes narrowed as she painfully gripped my face.

"Enough," Aro called, but Jane didn't release me. "I said, enough."

She huffed like a small spoiled child about to pitch a temper tantrum and let go. Instead of walking back to her position she flounced, causing her full skirt to noisily crinkle and shift. She folded her arms across her small chest and turned to face the room when she reached her position on the wall. A small male reached out and patted her shoulder; she looked at him like she was restraining herself from taking his arm off.

"Well done, Isabella!" Aro laughed and clapped.

I was unaware that I'd done anything. I looked to Edward, completely bewildered, and trying desperately not to look him in the eye. I had a feeling that doing so in front of present company would result in severe punishment, and I was still a bit sore. I could also taste ginger all the time which was making me a little nauseated. Being tied up and beaten would not be at all pleasurable as I had no desire to see my lunch again.

"Eyes, pet," Edward sensed my need for information. His face was hard to read without eye contact, and I desperately needed reassurance. He was pleased. Whatever I'd done, I'd done well.

"You should go to the bedroom and study now," Edward said like it was a hint to get lost. I nodded and complied immediately, eager to get out of the room.

I retrieved my backpack from the hall and studied, even though studying wasn't strictly necessary that evening. In truth, I was ahead in most of my classes due to Edward's constant nagging and tutoring. I had to be perfect and therefore I had to work twice as hard as everyone else. Every grade had to be an A: every project perfect, every test a perfect score. Otherwise I would pay for it.

I studied for as long as I could bear it. Feeling a bit restless and trapped, I decided to do something productive. In a completely out of character move, I pulled out my dance bag, changed clothes and stared at my pointe shoes for a moment. On one hand, I really hated them; on the other, Edward would be pleased if I used my time productively. He might even smile if he knew that I'd practiced.

I listened carefully and heard the murmur of voices downstairs that indicated we still had company. I had a feeling that even though Edward was outwardly associated with the Volturi, this meeting was tense. He didn't like what was going on, and whatever they had to say to him was unpleasant.

Edward's happiness was in my best interest, whether I liked it or not. I set my shoes down and settled onto the floor across from the full-length mirror to stretch. I had not done this without Edward watching since I became his. It was nice to do it on my own. My sore muscles protested, but I could stretch at my own pace. I breathed in and out steadily, and focused on my body. I began to feel a little better. With fewer sore muscles, my mood lightened.

Watching myself in the mirror, I noticed that I looked a little more graceful. My arms actually curved over my head quite nicely when I bent into a stretch. At least on the floor I resembled someone who could be a dancer. I focused on rooting my lower half to the floor as my upper body arched over one leg and then the other.

Feeling sufficiently stretched, I worked my way over to the dresser and tucked my feet under it to stretch them. My feet weren't as sore as the rest of my body. However, I wanted to prevent any soreness that I could.

Eventually, I swallowed my distaste and put on my pointe shoes. If I was going to be a good little pet and take some initiative I needed to just do it. I looked at the iPod that Edward occasionally allowed me to use and wondered if music would bother them downstairs. Perhaps it would give Edward a clue that I was doing something worthwhile? If he knew that I was being good, would the meeting be more bearable?

I opted to turn the music on very softly. I docked the iPod and started Edward's classical playlist. I wasn't dancing, but the music would help me focus rather than thinking about my strange encounter with Aro.

My ankles and calves weren't strong enough. While I knew that the exercise on the bed weeks prior had been pointless, it still haunted me. I had become such a perfectionist that I felt the need to improve, even knowing that I'd never be able to accomplish that. I resolved to work on my balance next if I had time.

I was still doing releves, focusing on lifting onto my toes, up out of the shoe, when Edward opened the door. I didn't stop. I caught his reflection from behind me in the mirror and noticed that he was shocked. I had thought that he would be. He nodded, and motioned for me to continue, before sitting down in his chair and watching.

I finished my set and turned to him. He was casually resting in the chair, eyes trained on me, with a slight smile to his lips. I crossed the room to stand in front of him. His arms slipped around my hips in an affectionate manner. He was happy to see me practicing.

His finger snaked along the waistband of my pants. I shivered at the cool sensation, and closed my eyes, imagining that things were different – that he was always this way. He was being very tender.

"You need to change," he announced. "We're going out."

Not wanting to ruin the moment by speaking out of turn, I tilted my head down so that he could see my perplexed expression.

"You have done very well today with no preparation, and I want to reward you, pet," he explained, releasing me and tapping my bum to send me off.

_Out as a reward!_

I quickly removed my shoes, tucking them away, and taking a moment to rub my feet. Edward went to the dresser and pulled out some clothing for me while I rubbed my aching arches back into a usable condition. My calves felt fine for the moment but I was sure to feel them later. I paid them a little attention before changing. He'd thought of my comfort, and supplied jeans, a long sleeved T-shirt, and a soft sweater. I quelled the urge to jump up and down like a little girl and slid them on.

When I was dressed, he took me out to dinner. He feigned eating, pushing his food around and offering me bites of his order. We must have looked like an average couple. I was happy.

The following two days continued to be pleasant. Edward treated me very nicely, he let me drive the Volvo, and fed me copious amounts of take out. Deep down, I was slightly suspicious. He was acting like a human. The power dynamic still existed between us; I was still the pet and he the master. However, it chaffed a bit less because he was making a concerted effort to be nice.

On the third day, the Volturi returned. Edward was tense, which in turn made me tense. They arrived in the morning. Edward sent me upstairs with a stack of books. At lunchtime he came up to the room and lead me back down to the kitchen; it was much like my first weeks with him when I wasn't trusted. Only this time, I was fairly certain that it wasn't me who he didn't trust.

"Aro and Caius would like to see you dance," he said after I'd finished my sandwich.

I stared at him, wide eyed. Public humiliation had never been Edward's thing. I was a terrible dancer, and he knew it. Why would he subject me to that? Suddenly it clicked, he didn't have a choice. I felt a lot less secure in my position. Caius had indicated that I was a reward for Edward, and I could be taken away.

"Isabella," Edward picked up on my panic, probably because my heart started to beat faster and I was struggling to breathe. "You've performed for others before, this is no different."

I nodded, not wanting to tell him that my fear was more for my safety than my pride. These men needed to be pleased, because I was fairly certain that serving one of them would be far less pleasant than being Edward's slave. Failure to impress them was not an option. Edward guided me to the stairs.

"Nothing modern," he whispered into my ear. He ascended a few steps with me, making sure that I was steady.

I changed, and stretched. I spent that time pondering what I could manage to do without messing up. There weren't that many options. Kitri's Variation from Don Quixote was a possibility but the choreography might require more room than would be available. I assumed that Edward would have everyone move down to the basement, where he'd installed a kind of make-shift studio. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to do that even in that space. It was also a bit lively, which increased the likelihood of injuring myself.

I was left with one option. I retrieved Edward's iPod and looked for the music. He had it. I looked at the clock; with thirty minutes at my disposal, I decided to run through some of the harder parts of the choreography.

With a few minutes to spare I made my way down the stairs. Edward heard my descent and met me at the bottom. I confirmed that we were using the basement, he led me down and turned on the lights.

"Which one?" he asked calmly, as he reached for the iPod. Edward knew my choices as well as I did.

"The Lilac Fairy Variation," I answered quietly. "if I have a few minutes-"

Edward's stare stopped me in my tracks. The other vampires could hear me.

_Shit._

I rephrased my request. "If it would please you, your pet would like to practice once or twice before performing. The piece is barely longer than a minute."

Edward nodded and started the music, playing it over the speakers in the room. I was a little rusty, but remembered all of the choreography. I glanced at Edward, seeking his approval when I'd finished.

"Again, and focus this time," he started the song over. I faltered rather quickly.

"Count," he commanded.

I nodded meekly and waited for the music to begin again. I managed to make it through a bit more fluidly. It would have to do; my time was up. Edward gestured toward the side of the room opposite the door, and I quickly moved there, just as the dark-clad figures filed in. It seemed that bodyguards were invited, as well, to my little impromptu performance.

As soon as they were settled along the wall, Edward started the music, giving me no time to overthink the situation nor to observe my audience. I just had to dance.

_One. Two._

_I can do this. Penche arabesques, keep the back up and suspend. Two. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

I accidentally caught Jane's eye while turning, and read her disdain for me.

_One. Two. Three._

If I could completely avoid looking at any of them, I had a chance of making it through the routine without embarrassing myself or Edward.

_One. Two. Three._

_Softer. Arms. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

My right ankle wobbled slightly. I tried to pay a bit more attention to the technical aspects of my performance. Wobbling could lead to catastrophe with my luck.

_One. Two. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

_Don't. Forget. To._

_Spot. Two. Three._

Edward looked pleased. Caius and the vampire who never talked, but I assumed was the third ruling member of the Volturi, both looked bored. Aro was staring at me.

_One. Two. Three._

_He's supposed to be watching you, Bella,_ I told myself.

However, there was something to the look in on his face that made me feel uneasy. Like I was prey. He planned on devouring me like a meal.

I stepped a half beat too soon, and had to cover.

_Focus, Bella!_

_One. Two. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

_One. Two. Three._

A little over a minute had never seemed so long. I made an extravagantly low bow, and backed away from my audience of potentially hungry vampires. There was a polite amount of applause punctuated by the firm, constant clapping of one individual, Aro. It sounded sinister.

"Very nice, Isabella," Aro commented as he rose from his seat and approached me. I remained still, dropped my head and looked at the floor. A chill set into my bones as he came closer.

Edward made some pretense at seeming slightly more human around me, but Aro did not. The way he moved was more like a snake, smoothly, quietly, with the soft whisk of his cloak skimming the floor. He was also too fast for the minute amount of effort he put into the motion. The way he circled around me made me feel exposed. I was suddenly aware of every exposed inch of skin. I could feel his fingers reach dangerously close to the skin on my back between the straps of my leotard. He walked around me, _not_ touching me for an excruciatingly long time.

"You shall give us our demonstration today, yes?" he hissed at Edward.

"Of course," Edward answered, "would you please excuse Isabella. She is perspiring and I would like for her to bathe."

"Certainly."

I resisted the urge to sag in relief as Aro backed away. He was quickly replaced by Edward.

I felt him lean in to speak to me, "Shower, I will leave clothes for you in the bathroom. Dress, and then wait in the bedroom."

I nodded and quickly exited the room. I removed my shoes on the steps, and scurried up the stairs to do as I was told. Something was brewing between Edward and his masters, and I felt like I was in the crossfire.

I took a very brief, hot shower.

True to his word, Edward had left something that I guess qualified as clothing. There was a boatneck shirt, a short skirt, and a strapless bra – no underwear. I fought back panic looking at the skirt. My entire ass was going to hang out, and we had company. While comfortable clothing wasn't always supplied, Edward at least cared for my modesty. The vampires were going to see me in this.

I stared at it with disdain. However, staring would not add extra inches to the length. I sighed and dropped my towel. There was no choice.

I slid the skirt on, and looked at my ass in the mirror. There was enough material that I couldn't really see my butt cheeks peeking out. If I bent over, I'd be on display, so I decided that anything that had to be picked up I would just have to kneel to retrieve. My face and neck were crimson when I turned around.

My next surprise was the shirt. It looked innocuous enough, a slightly fitted, white boatneck top. That was until I put it on. It hugged much closer to my body than I thought it would, and the open neck fell further down my shoulders than normal. There was only an inch of fabric holding it up on either side. I tugged at the shoulders in frustration, hoping to somehow stretch the fabric up just another inch. I wasn't that lucky. I met with similar resistance trying to pull the fabric away from my body.

"Stop fidgeting and come out," Edward called from the other side of the door.

I reluctantly emerged from the bathroom with my hands clasped over my midsection, and my eyes down. The outfit was just too demoralizing. Why was this the one time that he stripped me of the single bit of modesty that I had left? I'd always been allowed real clothes when I wore them. Being half naked was truly worse than complete nudity.

I couldn't see anyone else in the room, but I felt a creepy, cold sensation like we were being watched. I started to glance around but stopped at the sound of Edward clearing his throat. He sat in a chair in the center of the room. I quickly changed direction and headed straight for him. Edward offered a modicum of security. I knew that he cared about my health and safety.

"Eyes."

I looked up and walked a little more quickly. He wanted me, but there was something else behind his eyes, remorse? He opened his legs enough for me to step between them. I settled myself there, standing in a position that put my breasts very close to face. He nuzzled them affectionately. I tried to focus on him but still felt the icy sensation on my back, unable to shake the feeling that we weren't alone.

"Close your eyes," Edward sighed. I closed my eyes as he slid the chair away from me. "Arms behind your back," he whispered from behind me. I obeyed. He made quick work of tying them up. I tested the bonds only to find them much tighter than usual. I felt him in front of me, a spot of cool in the otherwise warm room.

His fingers brushed along my collarbone. His cool stone flesh felt good against my shower-warmed skin. He leaned down and placed kisses along the trail that his fingers made. I let out a soft moan as my body began to respond to him. My lack of undergarments made me feel self-conscious. I squeezed my legs together for fear that the beginning of my arousal was obvious.

Edward licked my skin and hummed, slipping a hand down my side, gently teasing me as it went. He reached under the short skirt, causing my hips to rock into him. He didn't smile against my skin, which he would normally have done. I felt his hand firmly between my legs, demanding that I relax and allow him to enter. I spread my legs. His left arm gripped my waist while his right hand explored.

I wasn't as wet as he liked. The feeling that we were being watched continued to interfere with my ability to focus. He slipped his fingers inside of me and coated them with the moisture that had begun to collect. He carefully swirled it around the rest of my slit, coming up to my clitoris and rubbing it in. I could feel his patience waning. He began to rub short, fast, hard circles into the little bud until my hips thrust at him involuntarily and I felt myself start to open up further.

"Good, pet," he murmured into my ear. He readjusted his hand and I felt how slick I'd become. "Now, open your eyes and come sit with me."

He was back in the chair when my eyes opened. His pants were open, and he stroked himself. I came closer and settled on his knees, facing him. He shook his head minutely and lifted me. He pulled me closer and with a shove and a thrust he was sheathed inside of me. I gasped and moaned at being filled. He felt so good. My head lolled back, as he started to thrust. One of his arms held my hips in place, keeping me from taking control, the other slid between my bound arms and my back to press my chest to his.

His rhythm built harder and faster until I was completely lost. I was making noises that I didn't recognize. Little grunts and cries escaped my lips with each thrust. I was completely and utterly focused on what he was doing to me, which is why I didn't feel someone behind me until it was too late.

I was tipping over the edge, shaking ecstatically.

"Now," Edward grunted.

Pain seared through my shoulder. I felt cold behind me, and panicked. I thrashed and felt a cold vise grip from unknown hands at the base of my neck. Cold, wet lips were over the injured spot on my shoulder, and they weren't Edwards. A large stone hand gripped my left shoulder and part of the arm painfully. I struggled until I heard a sickening pop and a crack. Edward stopped thrusting.

I screamed. The only thing I could feel was the sharp pain in my shoulder and arm.

"Let go!" Edward growled over my shoulder. His face was contorted with rage. The door behind me burst open and the cold being behind me was forcibly removed, wrenching my already injured body. I was still screaming. Edward carefully moved his arms, causing me to shriek in pain.

"Scissors, on the desk!" he shouted and I caught sight of a small black-haired blur moving behind him to retrieve them. Edward tried fruitlessly to support my arm while the ropes were cut. I still sobbed and screamed as there was no stopping the arm from moving.

Edward held me, as I cried. I was broken.

After an eternity, I found my voice, "Fuck the Treaty."

The room was deathly silent until I heard the whisk of vampire feet on the floor, and the door closed with a sharp click. This was my breaking point; he'd shared me with a monster. It was over.

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**End Note:**

**Wow, Bella "turpentine'd." I didn't think she had it in her.**

**Some of you are probably ecstatic right about now, others are ready to kill me. You remember how I said that other stuff is going on behind the scenes? That was kind of an understatement. **

**Sneaking up on someone during coitus is just mean, by the way, as is setting up your partner to be a meal mid-nookie without warning. ;-)**

**Questions, comments? We're at 70 reviews as of this chapter, and I may be slow but I do respond if I can.**

**Thanks to Nitareality for rec'ing this little piece of strange pervy craziness on Fictionators in the p'wnd section.**

**Thanks also to Siobhan2006 for her rec on **www (dot) twilightbetweenthesheets (dot) blogspot (dot) com


	5. Healing

**A/n**

**Thanks to Mistress Mal and her beta'ing expertise that keeps this story readable, and to Aleighy who sometimes catches stuff that slips by everyone else. **

**Thank you to all of you fabulous people who read and review, and welcome new readers. I noticed that there are quite a few of you.**

**WARNING: PLOT AHEAD**

**(Don't look at me like that, **_**SHE**_** turpentined. Besides, if they had sex all the time it would get boring and I'd run out of ways to describe it.)**

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Ch 5 Healing

I woke up in a strange bed. It took me a few moments but I figured out where I was. It was the very same room where I'd spent my first night as Edward's slave. I'd been brought to Forks. My arm was sore; I looked at it to find that my left arm was completely immobilized from my shoulder down. The cast was visible where the sleeve had been cut to accommodate it. The injury was as bad as I thought.

Tears began sliding down my face. Edward had done a lot of things to me, but this was the worst. He'd _shared_ me. I shivered at the memory of the unknown figure behind me. The broken bones only made it worse. Edward had never caused this kind of damage. He left bruises sometimes. He used a knife to cut my veins open, leaving scars, and he'd drunk too much, but broken bones had never occurred. He'd been careful on that account.

The door slid open with a soft whisking sound across the carpet. A statuesque blonde stood in the doorway with a tray. She smiled weakly before entering.

"I thought you might be hungry. Carlisle removed your IV a few hours ago," she said softly. I checked my right arm and found the tell-tale mark and bruise where the needle had gone in, and the tape residue stuck to my skin. She set the tray down and helped me sit up, propping the decorative gold pillows from the couch behind me. "There, now food?"

"Yes, please," I croaked. My throat was dry and sore.

"I'm Rosalie," she introduced herself without offering her hand. Instead, she gave me a soup spoon and settled the tray of food over my lap. "I don't know if any of this is good or not. We watched Food Network while you were sleeping, but I'm not sure if we got it right. Broth is apparently difficult to make without tasting it."

"So, Edward's not …" Edward could cook, there would be no question about whether or not the soup was good if he'd made it.

"I won't let him hurt you again."

I felt an odd pang at the thought of not seeing him. Granted, I'd broken the treaty but I thought that he'd stay and make sure that I was alright. He'd left, and that confirmed to me that I was nothing more than a meal and a convenient fuck. A fresh tear slid down my cheek. I tried to move my left hand to wipe it, only to be reminded of the cast. My right sleeve would have to do. The errant tear absorbed into the cuff of my flannel pajamas.

"Eat, Bella," Rosalie more suggested than ordered. "You've been asleep for a few days; the morphine Carlisle gave you affected you more than he thought it would."

I wondered just how long a "few days" really had been. My arm and shoulder ached.

"Food," she gently pushed the tray closer.

She'd brought a large bowl of chicken and dumplings, a slice of what appeared to be homemade bread, some small white pills and a glass of ginger ale. I sniffed the soup; it seemed okay, so tentatively brought a spoonful to my mouth and sipped it cautiously. It wasn't the best, but the broth soothed my throat and moistened my mouth.

"It's fine," I told her. She nodded and took a seat on the couch, angling her body so that she could face me. I took the two pills, and began to eat in earnest.

"Carlisle called Sam and Jacob, they should be here for you later this morning," she said.

I paused, "I don't want to go back to La Push."

"I'm sorry, Bella, but with the treaty broken, it's the safest place for you. Besides, you have people who love you there, people who will take care of you."

"It's just a slightly bigger cage," I commented before returning to my food. La Push wasn't home. There were nice things about it, and overall I got along with the people there, but I wasn't one of them. I also wasn't Jacob's imprint, so I would never be one of them. I would be trapped inside the boundaries of the reservation with little to do other than read, and wait for Jake to find his imprint. Not to mention the fact that it was hard to find someone with whom to have an adult conversation. The elders viewed me as a kid, the wolves were like overgrown tweens, and those who were in between had better things to do than amuse a pale faced intruder.

"Can't I just go someplace further away, someplace sunny, like Florida?"

"The sun won't protect you at night, Bella," Rosalie sighed. "Unfortunately, from the moment Edward asked for you as part of his payment, you've been involved. Once the Volturi knew of your existence, your fate was sealed."

I nodded grimly. Freedom was still unattainable.

"How bad will it be?" I asked.

"The war?" Rosalie clarified before continuing, "I'm not Alice, but I think that it's going to be brutal."

"Should I have stayed?" I began to doubt my choice. Was it better to just put up with Edward than to risk the safety of the tribe? Then I thought about that set of cold lips on my neck – the ones that didn't belong to Edward. Someone had been in the room while he … A tear dripped into my soup and I decided to finish eating. I barely got the food down. The ginger ale was easier.

Edward either couldn't or wouldn't protect me. I needed to face that fact and move on. The sense of heartache that I felt over leaving puzzled me. He was a complete mystery. I wanted to hate him for it.

Rosalie never answered my question, or if she did, I didn't hear her. She watched me eat with sad eyes that seemed to be overflowing. When I'd finished and pushed the tray away, she came to collect it. I expected her to leave, but instead Rosalie sat down on the bed.

"You need to get dressed," she said softly. "Do you want help?"

"Yes, please," I nodded.

I slid out from under the covers and braced myself as I stood. Rosalie was quickly in front of me with a pair of jeans and a shirt that had been modified much like my pajama top. I blushed as she helped me out of my bottoms and into the snug-fitting jeans. It was a pair that Edward had picked out; they fit comfortably and bore some expensive brand name that I'd never heard of until he purchased them. It didn't escape my notice that they did very nice things for my figure. Before I'd finished considering the jeans, Rosalie had my top half bare, and was slipping the new shirt on without giving me a moment to feel self-conscious. She produced a sweater and helped me slide my right arm in before carefully arranging the other side over my shoulder.

The whole process took mere seconds.

Rosalie excused herself when she'd finished and took the tray back down the stairs. I made the bed one-handed before moving over to the couch to wait for the wolves to arrive. I fell asleep again, feeling groggy from whatever medication they had given me.

I woke up to the sound of a familiar car pulling into the driveway and backfiring. Jacob had come for me, himself. It seemed that a year had not improved the condition of his vehicle. I cautiously made my way out of Edward's room, hating how timid I'd become about certain things.

_He can't hurt you again, Bella_, I reminded myself.

I combed the fingers of my good hand through my hair, as I descended the staircase into the living room. Of the four vampires seated on the enormous, white leather couch, I recognized two of them, Carlisle and Rosalie. I noticed that they weren't eerily still like the Volturi had been. They moved like humans.

"Bella!" a large dark haired male called to me. He had one arm draped around Rosalie.

"Hi," I said hesitantly.

"Bella, this is Emmett," Carlisle introduced the other male, who stood up. He was tall and broad. I thought that he might come close to Jacob's size. Emmett stepped like he wanted to get closer to me but Rosalie's hand settled on his elbow. The gentle gesture restrained him, for which I was thankful. I gave him a tentative smile and a small wave.

"… and this is my wife, Esme," Carlisle finished. I blinked. _Vampires had wives?_

I was still confused when the female with light brown hair gently slipped a cool arm around my waist. She squeezed lightly before letting go.

"I've packed all of your things into the Volvo," she said, breaking my thoughts from their stupor about the potential for vampire marriage and what the implications of such an act were.

"But Jacob and Sam are picking me up." My brow furrowed.

"Edward wanted to make sure that you had transportation for after you heal," Carlisle explained, earning a snort from the other three vampires.

"How kind of him," Rosalie spat.

Three loud raps sounded at the door.

"Time to go," Esme said, "I wish that you could stay longer and under better circumstances."

"Thank you," I said out of obligation.

Esme left to open the door, and Carlisle took her place by my side. He looked down at me, and it took me a moment to recognize what he was doing. Carlisle was assessing my condition. His keen ears were picking up my heart rate as he used his sense of smell to detect infection. I smiled weakly at him.

"Your clavicle, or collar bone is fractured, and your arm is broken. I put a bottle of pain medicine in your purse in case you need it. Unfortunately it can take a very long time for an injury like this to heal." He frowned. "Keep the cast dry, and keep your arm and shoulder as still as you can. Otherwise, you could make the clavicle fracture worse."

I nodded, "thank you, Carlisle."

"Call me if you need anything," he said as we reached the open door.

"Bye," I said without any further comment. I liked Carlisle and all, but holding a conversation with him was awkward. He knew all of the things Edward had done to me, and probably that I'd enjoyed the better part of them. It was weird.

The second my feet were off the porch, Jacob Black swung me into a hug that threatened to crunch my remaining unbroken bones. He smelled bad. I coughed a bit, and he released me.

"Ugh, you smell like bloodsucker," Jacob groaned.

"Hi to you too. What about you? You could have showered before picking me up," I complained.

"I did." Jacob sniffed himself.

Sam's incredibly hot hand settled on my right shoulder; this was his only form of greeting for me. We had a shaky acquaintanceship. He'd never approved of my involvement with Jake, but he didn't dislike me.

"I don't smell," Jacob protested as he huffed his way over to the Volvo. "Let's get you home."

Sam walked me to the silver car and helped me settle in before heading over to the Rabbit. Jake continued to whine about "bloodsucker smell" as he pulled out of the driveway and headed for La Push. He eventually moved on to other topics. Charlie had moved into Sue's house. Leah was being an evil bitch as usual. Then, he lied and told me that everyone was happy that I was coming home.

I stared at him and raised an eyebrow until he turned and caught the look. There was no way that I was going to buy that line of bullshit. He'd missed me, my father had missed me, but there was no way that Jared, Paul, and Leah were glad to see me return. The majority of the rez saw things the same way that they did, including Jacob's own father.

Vampires and Werewolves had become common knowledge since the skirmishes with the Volturi began. My sacrifice was also common knowledge, and I doubted that many would be glad to see me return. I'd failed the tribe. Truthfully, they wouldn't be shocked since I was a pale face. I wasn't one of them and I never would be, whether or not I was Jacob Black's lover.

"Is Sam still Alpha, or did you finally decide to live up to your birthright?" I asked, intentionally prodding where I knew I could hurt him.

"I don't want it, Bells. You know that," he sighed.

"Sam doesn't either," I argued.

"I know."

We were plunged back into silence. It was awkward and uncomfortable. I watched the trees flash past us.

"Did _he_ do that to you?" Jake indicated my arm.

"Not personally," I sighed. "He put me in a position where it could happen."

"I'm so sorry that you felt like you had to do that for us." He was referring to the treaty.

"I was glad to finally help rather than be a hindrance. You do know that I'm the reason he notified the Volturi in the first place?"

Jake nodded.

"I felt like I was making things right, but there's only so much a person can be expected to take," I explained. My voice betrayed the sadness lurking underneath the façade that I was intent on showing Jacob. I didn't really want to leave Edward, and I knew it. Jacob didn't need that information. If that became common knowledge among the pack, then I would certainly be kicked off the rez as a traitor. Deep down, part of me knew that Rosalie had been right when she told me that I needed protection. As much as I didn't want to be bound to the pack I had to stay.

"It was bad, wasn't it?"

He felt guilty. The emotion practically rolled off of him. I didn't want to tell him what had happened, because he would take it wrong and feel even worse.

**-EnP-**

I wasn't surprised when Jake turned away from the main road once we'd reached La Push and drove to a small log cabin in the woods. It was where he'd hidden me before. Edward was persistent in trying to reach me even early in the conflict. Initially, we hadn't known why, but during the treaty negotiations his desire to possess me became clear. This cabin had been one of five scattered around the rez. Edward destroyed two of them.

The tires crunched on the dirt path as the car ground to a stop. I didn't get out immediately. Instead, I stared at the structure through the windshield.

"The council doesn't want us bringing you into town," Jake explained. "The tribe will learn that the war is back on soon enough but we want to avoid mass hysteria."

"It's fine." I remained still. "This is one of the ones with basic utilities, right?"

"Yeah, everything but cable," he responded and slid out of the car. He was at my door much too quickly, opening it and wrenching me out. He jostled my shoulder and I winced. Jacob didn't notice. He never paid attention for little things like that. Not like Edward...

I _had_ to stop thinking about him.

Jacob and Sam quickly and efficiently unloaded my worldly possessions into the cabin. I milled around a bit because I didn't know what to do with myself. I wanted to unload and put things away but with my arm and shoulder such as they were there was nothing I could really do. I tried not to watch them unpack boxes. I grabbed my copy of Jane Austen's complete works before they could lose it. Everything ended up in the wrong place. I was just too irritated to stay in the same room while they sifted through my stuff finding homes for things that I would likely move as soon as I could.

It was while I was avoiding them that I noticed the spare bedroom. Jake had moved in. His things were already strewn about as if he'd been living there a while. Shit. I was moving in with him. At least he hadn't been too presumptuous and had set me up in the other bedroom. However, this arrangement was going to be awkward at best.

I smelled Jake behind me before I heard him breathing. He'd always been able to sneak up on me, but until he showered I had an advantage. Gosh he smelled bad, like dirty gym shorts and wet dog. It was similar to how he used to smell after running a patrol or playing a game of football, only more intense. I missed the soft woodsy scent that used to come off of his skin, it was comforting, this wasn't.

"Are you gonna shower?" I whined.

"I did, this morning right before we came to pick you up," he huffed.

"It's good to have you home, Bells," Sam chuckled from somewhere over my shoulder in the den. "I've got patrol in an hour so I'm going to leave you two love birds alone."

I turned and waved goodbye.

"Does the fact that we'll be living together upset you? I can see if Rachel and Paul…" he started.

"No, it's fine," I sighed. I definitely would not be living with his sister and the super douche.

"Good, why don't you go get comfortable? You know, take a long bath, and I'll get started on your laundry," he suggested. I noticed that his nose was slightly crinkled, like he smelled something offensive, perhaps he needed new deodorant if he could smell his own stench.

"My clothes should be clean; I just did laundry before … the accident."

"Yeah, about that…" he grimaced.

"They smell like vampire, don't they?" It wasn't hard to put two and two together where Jake was concerned.

"Don't worry, we'll get that bloodsucker stench off of you," he chuckled and stepped over to my room to grab a bag of clothes.

"Please sort them," I rather forcibly requested.

"Of course, Princess."

I rolled my eyes at his comment, and stalked off to find a robe to put on after my bath. I found Charlie's old bathrobe hanging in my closet. I smiled; he and Sue must have used the cabin recently. I wondered how long it would be before they finally got married. My next order of business was to locate a trash bag to cover my cast.

After five minutes of struggling with tape and plastic, I called for help. The robe was secured around me as well as it could be, but calling Jake for help still felt odd. I was really being stupid. Jake had seen me naked on multiple occasions. He might not have been able to play my body like Edward did but he knew it.

Unfortunately, Jake was still a seventeen year old boy. He found it hard to hide his little gasp when he came into the steamy bathroom.

"I need help," I whined.

"Okay, "he said and took the roll of tape from my hand. He moved carefully to the exposed arm and shoulder. His fingers were warm on the skin there as he carefully removed the mass of tape and bag that I'd tried to secure previously. He procured a new bag and began the process of covering my arm, before he stopped suddenly.

Jake was trembling. I could feel the hairs on his skin standing on end and the slight tremor coming from his whole body. I quickly glanced up in the mirror, and tried to see what had him so upset. Then, I noticed what he was staring at; the tiny scars that ran along my shoulder up to the base of my neck. Most of them weren't easily visible, but he was close enough in the tiny bathroom to see them all.

"He – he drank from you?" Jacob whispered.

"Yeah," I replied in a hushed tone, unashamed but not wanting to anger him further. I could feel the static coming off of him as he tried not to phase. "You need to leave, Jake," I said calmly and carefully.

He was barely through the door when the ripping noise indicating that he'd phased pounded my eardrums. I found myself thrown forward into the mirror, cracking the glass. As I fell, I'd held up both arms to brace myself, regardless of the condition of my left. The bag tore open on the glass as I pulled back; I could clearly see that the cast had cracked on impact. Then, I noticed something. It didn't hurt any more than it had before.

I slid the fingers of my left hand out of the bag and started pulling shards of glass out of my right. They hurt sliding back out of the skin. My hands were covered in blood by the time I finished plunking little pieces of mirror into the porcelain sink. When I turned around, I noticed that the door had been knocked partially off its hinges and the frame was damaged.

Jake sat in wolf form in the den with his head to the floor and tail between his legs. He was watching me intently. I ripped the bag off of my arm, and used my bloody right hand to pull at the cracks in the cast, removing it in large chunks. I wanted to see why it didn't hurt, and the cast was damaged anyway.

Jake whined.

I stared at my newly bare arm. I could move it. It was sore and covered in plaster dust and blood, but I could move it without too much pain. I flexed my elbow back and forth a few times.

Jake's whining was becoming more distressed. I looked at my back and found the robe had been partially shredded, the fabric was bloody. I pulled at it, trying to find the source of the blood in the shattered mirror. A long, pink line ran down my back surrounded by streaks of blood.

I ripped the robe off and tried to get a better look. My back had been cut and healed over in a matter of seconds. I let out a shaky breath before meeting Jake's eyes.

"Holy shit," I breathed, and closed the door as far as it would go.

I stepped to the bath and dropped down in the water. It seemed like the easiest way to remove the blood and debris from my skin.

What the hell was happening to me?

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**End Note:**

**What the hell, indeed. I hope that the intrigue makes up for the lack of "action."**

**I'm still getting to some of your reviews; they seriously make my day. Watching the hit-count is one thing but reviews are SO much better.**

**Speaking of which, expect slow responses, I will be reading but I'm kind of hoping to pop out a kid in the next few days. If I don't I'm going to be quite pissy.**


	6. Red Meat

**A/n**

**Hello again, darlings. **

**Thanks are in order to Mistress Mal, who beta'd this twice since I left out quite a few important details. A word to the wise, one-handed typing while breastfeeding is not the ideal way to get a chapter written.**

**Thank you to Aleighy for prereading, as always I can count on you to point out the stuff I completely forget about.**

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When I came out of the bathroom, Jake was sitting on the couch in human form, Sam stood behind him, and we didn't talk about it. There wasn't a word spoken as I clutched what little remained of the robe to my body and went to my room. Jake had left some clothes on my bed for me. All of the clothes that came from Edward were probably in the washer. A pair of my old jeans and a three wolves T-shirt that Jake had purchased for me as a joke were what waited for me.

I chuckled and pulled on the shirt. It was looser than it had been before, the fabric skimmed off of my body in places where it had clung before. My figure had become more like Leah's in the past year, leaner, stronger. The jeans were too big; the waistband sat at my hips, and left excess fabric hanging around my frame. I returned to the den fully expecting the third degree.

"So… what do you want for lunch, Bella?" Jake asked. The question seemed unusually loaded.

"Um, I don't know. He never…" I sighed. I'd rarely been allowed to make my own decisions regarding food. The chicken sandwich I'd had for lunch had been the only food-related decision I'd really been allowed without knowing that there was a right and a wrong answer. "I need you to give me choices," I admitted sheepishly.

Jake's face fell.

"What really happened?"

"You don't want me to answer that," I said quietly. I settled down on the other side of the couch from him and tucked my feet under myself. "You phased when you saw …"

"I know," he whispered. "It's just hard."

"I'm going to go see what Emily's put in the fridge," Sam shoved off from the back of the couch and ventured over to the kitchenette.

"You're not a blood - one of them, are you?" Jake stumbled over his question.

"He didn't bite me," I answered. "He always cut and then sucked, no teeth." I hoped with every cell in my body that he didn't ask for more details.

"There's more," he said.

"I can't do this. There are things that I don't want to…" There was no way that I could tell him I'd been playing 'hide the frozen salami' with Edward, so I did what I could. I hunched my shoulders and lowered my head in shame. "I can't talk about it, Jake."

_Please, please drop it._

Jacob would never understand that I had wanted what happened. He would die before allowing someone to treat him like that, or before he would treat someone like that. The problem being that I wanted it. I wanted him to be rough but at the same time look out for my well-being. I wanted him to make demands, and holy shit I wanted to be punished when I didn't meet them.

"So, Bells… It looks like we have tofu dogs, garden burgers, a package of hamburger meat, some sort of fried tofu thing, and the makings for grilled cheese," Sam piped up. Thank goodness he was present to cushion the awkwardness between Jake and me.

"Is the fried tofu kind of crispy and brown, like it's coated with something?"

"Um, yeah… looks like it might be breaded…"

Golden bowl, Emily had left the makings of golden bowl in the fridge. I loved her. It had been so long since I'd had a meal without meat. I could taste the cheese-covered tofu goodness. I felt an ear to ear grin break out across my face.

"Sam, just throw the tofu in a pan with some cheese and toss it in the oven. I'll come get some veggies in a minute."

"I don't know how you and Emily eat that crap," he muttered but set to work on my lunch anyway. "Jake? Burger?"

"Yeah, man," Jake grunted.

I could feel Jake staring at me, so I ducked my head and avoided looking at him. There was no way that I was going to confess that Edward Cullen had tied me up and did bad, nasty, naughty, delectable things to me, and that I craved more. That wouldn't go over well. It was much better to let him think that I'd just been used as a blood bank, and possibly tortured. That was much more palatable.

We spent a rather awkward ten minutes waiting for the oven to heat. Jake stared at me, I stared down at my shoes.

"So… Sam, how is Emily? Will she come out to see me?" I asked.

A grin broke out on Sam's face that could have banished all of the clouds from Forks. Those Quiluete boys knew how to smile.

"Emily is doing very well," he said.

"That's great," I latched onto whatever I could to keep the conversation off of me and Sam seemed willing to talk about his imprint.

"I don't know if Emily would agree with that assessment," Jake grumbled.

I raised an eyebrow at my friend, expecting an explanation.

"Sam and Emily are expecting a little wolf pup."

"Really?" I jumped up and hugged Sam. He bristled slightly; Sam and I didn't hug as a general rule, it felt weird.

"Yep, due any day now, so Emily probably won't be coming out here. I'm trying to get her to rest as much as I can," Sam explained.

"Yeah, when you're not doing other things," Jake smirked.

"I don't want to know, do I?" I asked.

"No, you don't." Sam eyed Jake and the younger wolf backed down.

We fell back into an awkward silence after that. Sam rather valiantly attempted small talk which resulted in a rather one sided conversation about Emily's cinnamon rolls. I wasn't entirely sure that _cinnamon roll_ wasn't a euphemism for something they did. He was way too obsessed with them if he was solely referring to breakfast food. That was always a possibility with his lupine metabolism. The pack was ruled by food.

"One golden bowl," Sam announced.

I took the bowl of tofu from him and grabbed some baby carrots out of the fridge. I settled back on the couch to eat. The tofu was just the right texture and the cheese formed a crust over it. I dug my fork in and picked up a hefty bite. It didn't make it past my nose on the first attempt; the tofu smelled off. I dropped the majority of the bite back into my bowl and forked one tofu cube. I forced myself to take a bite and gagged. It was horrible. The tofu didn't taste like it'd gone bad; it actually tasted normal, but wrong.

"Ugh," I spat the cube back into the bowl, marched into the kitchen, and dumped the remainder of my meal into the trash.

"Did I mess it up?" Sam asked.

"No, I just didn't want it as much as I thought I did," I groaned.

"Want one of these instead?" Sam pulled a greasy looking burger out of a pan on the stove and plopped it onto a bun.

"Can you make mine rare?"

"Yeah, no problem, Bells." Sam looked away from me and shared a meaningful glance with Jacob. I'd never been a vegetarian, but I didn't eat a lot of meat before and I _never_ ate it rare. "This one's pretty red." He indicated a larger patty of beef that he'd just flipped.

"That's fine," I said, eager to eat something.

Apparently I'd grown accustomed to undercooked meat. It still sounded bad, but I wanted it. Five minutes later I was licking the juices off of my fingers while Jake stared. I replayed the meal in my mind and remembered making completely inappropriate noises while eating. I blushed; there had even been moaning. I couldn't help myself; it was good.

"That was the best burger," I sighed and smiled at Sam.

The older wolf set down the remainder of his meal, looked at Jake, and then excused himself, "I think Emily's expecting me home."

When he left, things were awkward and silent. Jake and I had once been able to fill silences with jokes and laughter, but suddenly were unable. There was no conversation that either of us could fathom starting that wouldn't ultimately lead to uncomfortable subjects. I excused myself and headed to my room to read.

The words on the page blurred quickly. I was too exhausted to make it through a full chapter. My eyes fell closed and the book slid out of my hand; it crashed to the floor next to the bed.

-EnP-

A soothing, cool presence was wrapped around me from behind.

_Edward._

"Be still, pet," he hummed into my ear. "You need to rest."

I nodded and laid my head back down onto my pillow. His hand ghosted softly down my side. His fingers found the hem of my shirt and slid underneath it. The cold from his hand made me moan as it slid across my belly. His fingers soothed my overheated skin. He pulled me closer to him, my softer body molded to his. I shifted down slightly so that we lined up a little more naturally. I could feel him, all of him, up against me.

"Not sleepy, I take it," he leaned over and spoke into my ear.

"No," I breathed.

"I think I need to tire you out a bit more," he suggested and pushed his hips into me, bringing forth another moan from me.

I nodded.

"Turn over onto your stomach," he ordered.

I rolled quickly. He removed my jeans and underwear without even unfastening the button or zipper, and pushed my shirt up. He pulled my upper body off the bed just enough to discard the offending fabric.

"No more clothes in bed."

I couldn't respond because he pushed me back down onto the bed, resting his weight on my back. His hands found mine and pinned them down on either side of my head. I gasped at the feel of his cold body on top of mine; it was a stark contrast to my overheated skin. Sadly, that was all it took; I was ready. I felt more heat bloom across my skin, and an ache centered between my legs. His knees pressed between mine, forcing them to slide apart across the sheets. He shifted slightly and proceeded to drive me completely out of my mind by intentionally not entering me fully. He was pressed at my entrance but he kept sliding away. Finally he slipped his head inside just enough to tease past my opening.

"Yes," I whispered.

"No," he responded.

"No, no, no," I whined when he pulled back out. I tried to shift my position to get what I wanted but he held me completely still. The best I could manage was a slight wiggle that didn't accomplish my goal.

"Do you want it, pet?"

"Please," I begged. "Please, please, please," I tried again.

"You are spoiled," he groaned. He still wasn't moving. For fuck's sake, why wasn't he moving?

"Pleeeaaassse," I moaned into the pillow. "I'll been a good girl, a good pet, just please…"

"You left," he growled, and then he was gone.

I opened my eyes and I was fully dressed, lying face down on the bed. My right hand hung off the side, my fingers were resting between the pages of the copy of _Jane Eyre _on the floor. I shifted to grab the book and felt the needy, aching feeling return between my legs.

"Fucking bastard!" I yelled, and threw the book at the wall.

"I'm not an expert, but I think Bronte's a chick," Jake chuckled from the doorway.

At any other time I would have made some crack about him actually picking up a book and reading as it wasn't a common occurrence for Jake. The boy had never liked reading, and knowing who wrote _Jane Eyre_ was just beyond weird for him. I lifted my head to look over my shoulder at him.

Jake was an attractive guy. He stood with his shoulder touching the door jamb, arms crossed, and a smirk on his face. He sniffed the air, and took a step toward me.

"Do you _need_ anything?" he asked in a tone that was supposed to sound suggestive but just came off as a teenage boy pretending to be James Bond.

_Shit,_ he could smell me. That much was apparent on his face. Damned supernatural ex-boyfriend.

"Um…"

_Crap. Crap. Crap. _

There I was, hot and bothered, pretty much aching, in need of some form of relief, and there was Jake, always the boy scout, perfectly willing to step in and take care of my little problem. The only real issue being that I wasn't sure he _could_ take care of it. I weighed the pros and cons for a few minutes. The way I saw it, I had three options:

Go on feeling like this and miss out on a lot of sleep.

Wait for Jake to leave the room, jill-off and hope that he doesn't take that as exactly what it is, me rejecting him sexually, because he will hear it if I take care of myself.

Have potentially mediocre sex with Jake, after which I may still need to jill-off.

My options sucked.

"I don't know, Jake…."

"Bells, it's not like we haven't done it before," he argued. "I've missed you, you know."

"I know," I said, and shifted so that I was facing him, seated on the bed.

"I'm assuming that you've missed me?" his voice lilted up at the end of the sentence making it a question.

_Shit. _We never officially broke up. He was technically still my boyfriend if one didn't count that whole being a vampire's sex slave thing as a break up, and I was pretty sure that Jacob wasn't counting it, in part because I wasn't going to tell him about the sex.

"Of course I missed you, Jake," I answered automatically with the 'right' answer, the answer that wouldn't crush his poor teenage ego.

"A year is a very long time." He walked to the edge of the bed.

"It is," I squeaked. I knew that Jake was assuming that I hadn't had sex. The major problem with this being that I hadn't only had sex but mind-blowingly fantastic sex that I was pretty sure he couldn't recreate.

"Bells?"

"Yeah?"

"Did he do something? Is that why you're hesitating? Did he…?"

_Alarm Bells. _That train of thought would lead to carnage. I had to stop him before he got there.

"He didn't rape me, if that's what you're trying to ask without asking," I said.

"Good," he sighed.

_Crisis averted._

_Only now I'm back to the original crisis of figuring out what to do with Jake._

_Shit and double shit._

"So…"

"So?" I asked. The situation could only be classified as awkward. I knew what he was asking; I was just playing dumb in order to avoid making a decision.

"Do you want to do it?" He sat down on the bed.

"Do what?" I stalled.

"Do you want me to make love to you?" He looked really vulnerable. I'd made him ask explicitly for what he wanted, and his lack of confidence was a turn off.

However, I couldn't bring myself to crush Jacob.

_Shit._

When he leaned in to kiss me, I ignored the smell. I ignored my brain, too. I allowed it. He removed my shirt and I didn't protest, knowing full well that I should. I did happen to notice that his body temperature seemed a lot closer to mine than it had in the past. This was of course while he was palming a breast. He didn't pinch the nipple, just rubbed the swell. I wasn't able to turn off my brain. Jacob was toying with the waistband of my jeans, and I was attempting to figure out what had happened to drop his temperature from 108 degrees.

I pulled off his shirt, because that's what one does in this kind of situation. His chiseled abdomen was really pretty; I had to admit that he was rather attractive. I placed a kiss above his navel. I was rather lucky to have him. Jacob would do anything for me. The least I could do for him was give him a little something when I was already turned on, right?

I tried to focus on the moment, and managed to do well enough to fake moan so that he'd move on from foreplay. Foreplay wasn't his strong suit. Actually, I wasn't sure that he had a strong suit. He seemed to be equally mediocre at everything sexual.

Surprisingly, Jacob had protection in his pocket. He rolled the condom down his own length with a comment about not wanting any wolf pups just yet. In turn, I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore that he'd spoken.

It wasn't until he was sheathed inside of me that something very important crossed my mind….

'I'll kill that dog you love.'

_Oh shit._ How far from the border was the cabin? If I remembered correctly it was only about a mile, well within Edward's range of being able to read thoughts. What if he was watching? Would he tap into Jacob's thoughts and watch this? I knew without a doubt that he would. How long would he let it go on?

Would he cross the line to stop us?

The very sick part of me that liked Edward's threats was thrilled by this. I felt a new wave of lust roll over me as I thought about his anger. Edward would be fierce. My pulse quickened and I let my head loll back. He'd be angry enough to punish me, perhaps more than just a spanking.

Jacob's steady thrusting had started to do something in light of those thoughts. I could feel that little bubble building. I thought about being watched and a low moan escaped my lips. The concept of Edward watching me have sex was suddenly appealing. My breathing quickened. I was at the edge but something was missing.

"Jacob, hold me down," I pleaded.

"Hold you down?" he asked, inadvertently slowing his pace.

"No! Keep going, but grab my hands," I snapped.

"You want me to hold your hands?" He still hadn't resumed the pace.

"Yes, hold my hands down."

He fumbled a bit but grasped my hands. His touch was a bit too gentle. His fingers didn't close around my wrists in the iron grip that I craved. His skin was soft and warm on mine and the sensation was all wrong.

Jake was nearing his orgasm. I could feel it. If I wanted to come without doing it myself I was going to have to do it quickly. I closed my eyes and imagined how angry Edward would be watching this. I imagined the cruel things he would do to me to make me pay for it, and the pain.

I came just before Jacob did, and had to bite my tongue to keep Edward's name off of my lips. He finished with a grunt before falling on me. Damn, Jake was heavy. We were hot, and sweaty, and messy, and Jake really stank.

They say you can never go home again. The proverbial "they" are so right on that one.

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**End Note:**

**Thanks to yellowglue and Nitareality, pimps extraordinaire. **

**I'm terribly sorry that I've failed to keep up with reviews this month. I've been a little preoccupied. However, I do get excited reading each one and seeing all of the alerts that flood my inbox, you guys rock! I promise to try and figure out where I left off on review responses, but if I miss you it's not for lack of love or effort.**


	7. Lies

**A/N **

**Beta'd by Mistress Mal, Preread by Aleighy**

**Twilight and all related characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

**Okay here we go.**

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"That was great," Jacob wheezed.

_You go right ahead and think that._

Jake was instantly snoring, the bastard. His weight still crushed me into the bed, and the heat of his body was stifling compared to the cold body I was accustomed to feeling press into me. I pushed fruitlessly at his shoulders with my hands; he was just too heavy. I squirmed up toward the headboard and gained just enough room that I could scoot my legs up underneath myself. I used the additional leverage to roll him off of me. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud, and woke up with a start.

He sprang up from the floor, and his body shivered. He was going to phase. I had no desire to test whether or not I could miraculously heal from phase-related injuries again.

"Jake!" I shouted.

Something in him seemed to release and he turned to look at me, his eyes no longer hazy from sleep.

"Sorry I shoved you off the bed, man, but you were smothering me," I explained.

"Sorry, Bells," he yawned.

"You should go to bed."

He made a move to crawl in with me. There was no way in hell that I was going to be able to sleep with a hot, sweaty, smelly Jake next to me. I shooed him away, and he looked heartbroken. I tried to find the strength to not care.

Before I had a chance to roll over, I heard a noise outside. I sat up and looked around my room like I would somehow be able to discern what was going on outside the walls of the cabin. I slid my feet off the side of the bed, pulled on the first clothes I found, and padded into the den.

A loud knock sounded from the door, causing me to jump and yelp. Jacob came up behind me and clamped a hand down on my shoulder.

"Why so jumpy, Bells?" he asked.

"Um, no reason," I fidgeted.

He walked past me to the door and opened it. Embry was standing in the doorway, shirtless and wearing a pair of frayed denim shorts. He looked panicked.

"What's up, Em?" Jake asked, scratching his still naked ass.

"You need to come outside," he said to Jacob.

"Okay, sure…" Jake turned to me, "stay here, okay?" I could have strangled him.

"Where else would I go, Jake?" I snapped.

"Just don't wander off," he reiterated.

"Fine."

He stepped out, closing the door behind him. I listened as he and Embry walked down the steps off the porch. They walked into the woods. I could almost hear them phase. Apparently whatever was so urgent as to require such a late visit was top secret.

I wondered if Edward had been listening. Perhaps that's why Embry came for Jake and they were taking precautions to make sure that I couldn't overhear. Or I could just be paranoid. I was probably just imagining things. The chances of Edward actually being within a mile of this particular cabin were pretty minute, right?

…unless he'd been near the border spying on the pack. They would all know where I was. Fantasizing about Edward's anger and potentially subjecting Jake to it were two different things. He'd kill Jake.

Perhaps I was over analyzing this? Maybe Edward wouldn't care. I wasn't really anything to him after all, and Jake was my boyfriend before the treaty. Edward couldn't, and shouldn't, expect me not to go back to Jacob. We were in love, right? Or not… but that had nothing to do with the situation. It was reasonable to expect that I would resume sleeping with my boyfriend.

I peeked outside to see if I could find the wolves. I couldn't see them from the door, so I stepped onto the small front porch of the cabin. There was still no sign of them. I took a few steps onto the sparse underbrush that had grown in the small clearing around the cabin. My feet were cold and the few spots left uncovered by callouses protested as I walked on the rough ground barefoot.

I heard a noise from roughly the direction of the border, something like thunder. Only it wasn't thunder. It wasn't raining; for once I could see the stars. That left very few options about what could have made that sound. Most of those were supernatural.

I took off running for the border as fast as I could. My feet quickly grew numb in the cold. I jumped over fallen trees, and wove around obstacles trying to get there. The noise was growing louder and more frequent the closer I got to the edge of the reservation. Before I made it there I was stopped by a wall of gray fur. I looked quickly to see who it was; gray with spots, Embry was the wolf blocking my way. I tried to move around him and he blocked me.

"Embry," I growled in frustration.

He shook his head at me.

"Embry Call, let me pass right now!"

He pawed at the ground a little and shook his head again.

"Phase," I demanded. I wanted answers and Embry was going to give them to me; he was the easiest of the wolves to interrogate. He usually caved quickly.

He shook his head again.

"Is Sam telling you not to phase?"

He nodded.

"Bastard," I growled again. "I want to know what's going on at the border."

Embry didn't respond to my question, instead he attempted to herd me back toward the cabin. He pushed at me with his long nose, trying to coax me into leaving.

"No, Embry, I'm going to the border," I protested.

He insisted again, nudging me harder. I faked him out by taking several steps back the way I came before turning and dodging around him. It was unrealistic to expect that I'd get very far. The wolves ran fast, I'd ridden on a couple of them during the first phase of the war, before the treaty.

I made it closer to the border than I thought I would before Embry sank his teeth into my shirt. He stopped me, but I was already too close. I could hear growling ahead of me.

"Embry, let me go," I whispered.

Embry emitted a low groaning noise. A large black wolf, Sam, broke off from the group in front of me and sauntered in my direction. He phased before he was too close, not bothering with his shorts, which were strapped to his ankle.

"Bella, of all the stupid decisions you could have made…"

"Sam, it's my fault," I protested. "e need to get Jake away from the border. You have no idea what Edward is capable of... if he's mad…"

"Oh, he's mad, Bella," Sam confirmed. "The question is: why is he so angry?"

Jake growled. I would recognize that growl anywhere. He was listening to the conversation through the pack mind.

"Most likely because I broke the treaty," I deadpanned.

"Bells, don't bullshit me. Something's different about you and we all know it. I need to know what happened."

"He's mad because Jake and I had sex." I could feel heat rising on my face signifying the blush that I knew was there.

"Nice diversion, that's not what I was talking about, and you know it," Sam snapped. "Why is he so upset by you and Jake bumping nasties?"

"Just let me talk to him," I said, growing agitated. There was no way that I was going to admit to having a sexual relationship with Edward. Not. Going. To. Happen.

The growling at the border intensified.

"Not a good idea," Sam responded.

"Have Embry get his smelly jaws off my shirt and let me talk to Edward."

"Suit yourself," Sam sighed. "Let her go, Embry."

Embry dropped my shirt and I stumbled forward. I stood and straightened my clothing, noticing for the first time that I'd grabbed Jake's pajama pants when I got dressed in the dark. No, that wasn't incriminating.

I walked to the semicircle of wolves. They didn't part for me. Instead, I pushed at Seth's rump until he finally made room for me. At the center was Jake, he stood at the boundary, facing a group of three vampires. Edward was in front, with the arms of a sandy blond haired male holding him back, I concluded that this must be Alice's mate because while he held Edward he seemed to be attempting to use himself as a barrier between Alice and the wolves.

"She's bleeding, just let me see her!" Edward shouted.

_Bleeding?_ I looked down at my feet; there was dried blood between my toes.

I couldn't tell what Jake was thinking but whatever it was seemed to anger Edward further. He hissed at Jake and pulled on the arms that held him.

"You're not moving little brother, not until you're calm," the blond vampire drawled. Edward took a deep breath and closed his eyes, expelling the air slowly.

I approached quietly and ran a hand along Jacob's furry flank. He whined. I stopped and explored the patch of fur that I'd touched a bit more carefully. There was blood in his undercoat, already sticky from coagulation. They'd fought. I pulled my hand back and wiped it on my pants.

"Leave us," I said.

Edward relaxed, but Jake whimpered.

"I'll be fine, Jake. Stand just far enough away that you can't hear us, but stay where you can see me, okay?" I walked up to his head and laid my cheek on his nose when he lowered it. "Just let me talk to him."

The wolves reluctantly dispersed; Jacob was last and he backed away rather than turning around.

"You should go, too." I indicated for Alice and her mate to leave.

"Come back with us," Alice pleaded.

"Go," I ordered.

"Listen little girl…" the blond started.

"No, go," Edward said, "I'll behave."

"He'll be fine," Alice reassured her mate.

"We'll be within sight," the male warned.

"Fine, Jasper," Edward grunted.

Jasper released him and darted back further on their side of the line.

"You're bleeding, let me take a look," Edward growled.

"I'm not your responsibility," I retorted.

"I suppose that you want me to believe that you're teen wolf's responsibility? That he takes care of you?" He folded his arms.

"Yes." I mimicked his stance.

"The pup isn't responsible enough to take care of a goldfish," he sneered.

"Why do you care?"

"Is that what you want? A puppy, someone to follow you around like he's lost, and then fails to give you what you really need?"

_Why did his voice have to make me react really inappropriately?_ I resisted the urge to cross my legs. I had to find some anger somewhere. I focused on Jacob's complete ineptitude in bed.

"Oh, and what exactly is it that I need, Edward? To be told what to do constantly, tied up, whipped, fucked?" I snapped.

"Yes," he responded.

_Fuck yes._

"No," I said, shifting my weight nervously.

"You enjoyed yourself."

"Sometimes," I whispered.

"Most of the time," he said, reaching for me. I stepped back. "Let me see your feet."

"They're fine," I protested.

"You're barefoot in the woods, bleeding. Fine doesn't quite cover it, pet." He leaned forward.

"Fine covers it quite well."

He dropped his voice and hissed, "Why aren't you wearing your sling? You shouldn't have removed the cast in the first place but you must use the sling!"

"My collar bone's healed, no thanks to you," I spat.

He scrunched his eyebrows together. I held my arm out at shoulder level, and rolled my shoulder back to show him.

"I don't need the sling. Something happened, and it's better now," I explained.

"I saw the x-ray of the break, there's no way that it could have healed by now," he said, bewildered. "Show me your feet."

"No."

"Show me your feet now, Isabella." Edward was losing his temper.

"They'll attack if you touch me," I warned him.

"_Feet. Now!_"

I carefully balanced on one leg to show him a foot. He leaned down, carefully remaining on his side of the line and refraining from touching my foot.

"There's blood but it's not even scratched," he whispered in awe. "Show me the other one."

I complied. He stared at the bottom of my foot for a few moments.

"See, I'm fine. There's no need for you to worry. Now, go back and do whatever it is that you vampires do when you're not _torturing_ people," I ordered.

"You do realize that you can't lie to me," he purred. "You get aroused when you say the word torture. Your eyes dilate, your scent changes... You want what I can do to you."

"No," I lied.

"You stand there reeking of him, but you want me." He stepped closer; he was on the edge of the boundary.

"You're delusional." I tried to fight my reaction to him. I wanted to be closer without any air between our bodies. I wanted him inside me. I backed away.

"You will come back to me, pet."

"What makes you say that?" I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly aware of my lack of undergarments.

"Because you are mine. You had your eyes closed while that dog tried to fuck you, you were thinking of me…"

"You're full of shit."

"Language, Pet. You are certainly chalking up the offenses this evening. We will have so much fun when you come back," he promised.

"I'm not yours. The treaty no longer exists. There's nothing left to bind me to you," I argued.

"Except for your insatiable need…"

"Go to hell." I turned to walk away and found wolves surrounding me in an instant. They were growling and snapping their jaws at Edward. Jasper and Alice returned to restrain him.

"You want it, Bella, admit it!" Edward screamed.

"You know what Edward," I turned around. "You need me a hell of a lot more than I need you."

With that, I climbed onto Jacob's back and buried my head into his stinky fur, fighting back tears; we were walking away. I really wanted my statement to be true. I didn't want to be the only one feeling lost and alone. I wanted Edward to be just as lonely as I was. I wanted him to feel the same burning pain that I felt in my chest.

"I didn't want to let him drink," he admitted.

I sat up and tapped Jake's shoulder, wanting him to turn around so that I could hear Edward more clearly. Jacob stubbornly kept walking. I dug my knees into his sides in protest; he ignored me. I slid off of Jacob's back, rolling on the ground as I landed. Much to the chagrin of several wolves, I walked back to the border.

"Either you didn't care or you couldn't protect me. I don't know which one is actually the case, but I can't live like that. I can't trust you to take care of me only to find myself betrayed at the first sign of difficulty. I won't put up with it. I'm not a toy to be passed around, and I'm not a blood bank!" I felt tears flow up over my lashes and onto my cheeks. "What's more, if you'd _asked_ me or in the very least tried to get my consent in any of this, I probably would have gone along with it. I would have stayed." I swiped the tears away and ran to Jake. I climbed back up and rode through the forest back to the cabin, hoping that I wouldn't have to explain myself.

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**End Note:**

**Nitareality has started a thread over on Twilighted for us. Should be fun, we're in the AU section, go check it out.**

**I'm on Twitter as GingerWombatkat I tend to give each chapter a subtitle on there and tweet when I'm working on this.**


	8. On the Move

**Beta'd by Mistress Mal**

**Preread by Aleighy - without a computer (she's dedicated)**

**Loads of dialog by me**

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_I was back at the house in the city. Edward sent me to the ensuite bathroom to change. The white boatneck top and the tiny skirt waited for me again. All I could do was stare at them for a few moments. This had already happened, right? I numbly slid the clothes on and fixed my hair. Edward was impatient; I could hear him outside the door. _

_I picked at the neckline of the top, and fretted over my very nearly exposed ass. Why was he doing this to me?_

"_Stop fidgeting and come out, pet," he ordered. I had no choice but to obey, even though I felt that we'd done this before and it didn't go well. I padded my way out of the bathroom, eyes trained on the floor._

"_Eyes," he commanded, and I looked up into his red eyes. "Come here."_

_He had moved the desk chair out to the middle of the bedroom, and was seated in it. I stepped gingerly, feet and calves still sore and accustomed to pointe shoes. I was walking on the balls of my feet. I could feel other people in the room and turned my head slightly, keeping my eyes on Edward's. Edward unnecessarily cleared his throat, and I turned my head back. _

_When I was only a step away, he addressed me, "Isabella, we're going to be trying something different this evening. You will do what I say."_

_I nodded vigorously._

"_Good, I would hate to punish you in front of company."_

_He stood and circled around me. I noticed a length of soft rope in his hand and wondered when he'd picked it up. He took my arms and began the process of tying them. He worked slowly. I felt my breath hitch a few times as his hands intentionally brushed along my back. My skin was heating up; I could feel my body responding to him, and I surrendered to it. _

"_Good pet," he praised me. "Now, we're going to move to the bed." He gently turned me using the rope across my arms and back. _

_I froze when I looked at the bed. Aro was sitting in the middle, staring at me with a predatory look. His eyes were black. He was hungry. _

_Edward was leading me bound and half naked to a hungry vampire. My feet suddenly felt like they were encased in cement. I couldn't move. There was no way that I would willingly take another step toward Aro, at least not without panties. I wanted proper undergarments. A girl had to have something covering her ass if she was expected to be anywhere near the likes of Aro._

"_Do you want the ginger?"_

_I shook my head. That shit burned._

"_Walk to the bed or I will punish you," Edward growled._

"_No," I whispered._

"_Pet, I __**need**__ you to do this," he growled again._

_I turned my head to look into his eyes, knowing full well that doing so unbidden was a bad idea. What I saw there did nothing to comfort me; he was panicked, desperate. There was more going on than what I knew, but there was no way that I could do what he was asking._

"_No," I whimpered._

"_Pet," he warned._

_Aro was whispering. I couldn't make out the fast, soft words, but Edward tensed. I knew that I was in trouble. Edward's eyes hardened and he gripped my shoulder tightly._

"_You will do this because you must," he spat. "There is no choice."_

_I was too tense. There was no way that I could do this. Aro was whispering away again. Edward propelled me toward the bed. My legs hit it, and I bounced backward into him._

The jolt woke me out of my slumber.

I knew why Edward did it.

Holy Shit, my subconscious mind had figured it out for me. When Edward said that he had to do it, he meant the incident, my reason for leaving. Aro was going to drink from me one way or another, supposing that it was Aro. I hadn't seen my attacker, but the creepy head of the Volturi was really the only logical choice, other than perhaps Caius or Marcus. Caius didn't seem perverted enough for that, and Marcus had been a bystander during the meeting.

I sat up and looked around. I wasn't in the cabin. Instead, I had been curled into Jacob's hot, smelly, furry side on the forest floor. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and glanced over Jake's shoulder. Sam was there, leaning up against a tree in his human form, dressed in a pair of tattered basketball shorts.

"We need to talk," Sam whispered.

"Yeah, sure," I whispered back and straightened myself. I was still wearing Jake's pants, which were now covered in dirt. I carefully made my way around Jake's nose and paws to reach the chief. "What are we doing here?"

"We're moving you, Quil and Embry are packing your things. If Edward knows where the cabin is, then we can't guarantee your safety."

"We're back to moving me every few days again, aren't we?" I sighed.

"I'm afraid so…" He scratched the back of his neck and indicated that we should walk away from where we had camped. "I wish that I could take you into town and let you stay with Emily, she could use the company, but the council still doesn't trust that you're not a spy," he explained quietly.

"A spy? You really think that I'd do that to you?"

"I don't think so, but Leah Clearwater has her mother's ear," he shrugged.

"Bitch," I muttered. "She always did hate me for no apparent reason."

"Oh, there's a reason, it just has nothing to do with you," Sam chuckled. "She's mad because I left her for my imprint, and Jacob is still keeping you around even though he knows you aren't his."

"What?" I shouted.

"Bells," Sam scolded. "You need to be quiet. We don't want to wake Jacob." He looked around. "Let's take a walk."

"Fine," I spat. I wasn't really angry with Sam.

"I think that Leah wants you to leave, but possibly for your own good. In her own bitchy way, she's looking out for you," Sam explained.

"I tried! The Cullens wouldn't let me go anywhere but here," I whisper-shouted.

"And they were right to do so."

I stopped walking.

"Bella?"

"Sam?" I growled.

"From what I know of Aro, given my brief encounters with him while we negotiated the treaty, he doesn't let anything go," he began to explain while pulling on my arm to get me to walk with him again. "I figure that given Edward's fixation on you, and the fact that your servitude was the only nonnegotiable item of the treaty, that there has to be something special about you, something they want."

_Yeah, sex, blood, and rock'n'roll. Yay me!_

"Nothing that they couldn't get from someone else," I said under my breath.

"So you know what it is?" Sam looked me in the eye.

"Can you hide your thoughts from Jake?"

"I need to know. It's a safety issue," he explained.

I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Sex and blood," I whispered.

"What?" he shook his head.

"You heard me." I kicked a rock. "Edward Cullen had sex with me and drank my blood."

"But you said that he didn't rape you," Sam stopped and folded his arms, leaning into a tree.

"He didn't," I admitted. "I wanted it. There's something about him that makes me… yeah…"

"Shit. This is bad, very bad," he huffed.

"Why? It doesn't seem like it's different than the situation before. I'll just have to get used to a nomadic existence."

"Bella, you smell different," he growled in frustration. "Something's happening to you. I know that you'd just prefer to leave this as the big elephant in the room and not acknowledge it, but we have to discuss it."

"It's nothing," I folded my arms. "I'm like one of you, I heal fast and it's possible that my temperature may run a little hot."

"But you're not one of us, Bella," he pointed out. "Unless they experimented with your genetics then there's no way that you're a wolf. I'd also be able to smell that. You smell like something familiar but different. I can't place it."

"Why are you so worried about this?"

"Because, if they changed you, Leah could be right. You could be a ticking time bomb, just waiting to bite us all in our sleep. I can't subject the tribe to that."

"Then send me to Florida," I suggested.

"Do you really think that Jacob would allow that? You wouldn't last more than ten minutes outside the border before being picked up by the Cullens or the Volturi. No, we have to figure this out." He scratched his neck again.

"My sense of smell is stronger," I blurted out. "I can smell you from here. I can still smell Jacob and we're at least a quarter of a mile away."

"And you're walking faster," he sighed. I cocked my head and waited for him to finish. "I used to have to intentionally slow down to walk with you because your legs are so much shorter. You've been taking two steps to every one of mine, and you've kept up this morning."

"I have?" I asked and looked behind us.

"You also haven't tripped."

"You're right!" I gasped. I should have fallen down at least five times during the walk through relatively uneven woods. I was becoming less clumsy.

"I think it's safe to say that you're something different. I hate to do it, Bella, but you have to stay away from the tribe until we figure out what you are." He pushed off the tree and touched my arm gently.

"Truthfully, I really don't want to face anyone anyway."

We turned and started walking back to camp in silence. Jacob was awake and human when we got there, and talking to Quil who had a bag of my things slung over his shoulder.

"Morning, Bells," Jacob kissed me.

"Good morning. Sam was just explaining the situation to me. We're on the move again?" I verified.

"Yep, Quil's going to drive you to the cabin at the beach today," Jacob confirmed. "I hate to leave but I need to go check on Dad and Rachel, will you be alright with Quil?"

And so it began, Jacob was thinking of himself as my boyfriend. Shit, that had to stop.

I hugged him and sent him on his way. As soon as Jake was far enough away Quil turned to me.

"Soooo… You and Jake back together again, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," I protested.

"Bella, you reek of sex, and I can smell Jake on you," he laughed.

"Okay, in a moment of weakness we did it," I whined. "But it's not going to happen again! I think that he needs to swear off me and look for his imprint."

"He doesn't want to find her, if she's even out there. He wants you, Bella," Quil said, suddenly sincere.

"Can we just get to the beach, it's sunrise and I'm already sick of talking," I groaned.

* * *

**End Note:**

Here's the deal, I LOVE your reviews. I read every single one. I go back to them when I'm writing to see what needs explanation and sometimes I put it in. I kind of suck at responding. I'm on Twitter, and occasionally I blurt stuff out over there. We also have a relatively unused thread over on Twilighted, where there's some discussion.

Oh, and thanks to sadtomato for rec'ing this baby. Mwah! You're awesome.

Nita, thanks for giving me a read on this one; you can obviously see what I ended up doing. Mwah!


	9. The Knife

**A/n:**

**Thanks to Maleficentknits and Aleighy for their mad beta and prereading skills.**

**Sorry for the delay, but at least it's a decent sized chapter.**

* * *

Two weeks. Two weeks of moving every three days is exhausting. It screws with your mind, and completely stresses you out. I had pared down my belongings to the essentials, a couple changes of clothes, a few books, and toiletries. Everything fit into a small duffle bag.

Emily had her baby after the second move. Jacob brought me some pictures. The poor kid looked like a squished version of Sam, which wasn't so great since it was a girl. I hoped that she would grow out of it and start to look more like Emily.

It was after that, that I dreamt about a baby.

_I held him in my arms. He looked like Jake. I held him close and rocked him, petting the fine hair that grew on his head until his eyes opened. His eyes were red. I dropped him and he hissed before crawling out of his blanket and standing upright. I screamed myself awake._

I told myself that I was just confused, my life was a little crazy, and I needed more rest. I tried to sleep more, but then I just had the dream again. It was absolutely ridiculous, or was it?

On the morning of day 14, I was drying myself off and noticed that my stomach was a bit hard. I was also cramping. I assumed that the cramping was due to impending feminine issues since I was overdue for a period, so I called Leah. She was my only option. I couldn't send the guys to the store for feminine hygiene products, and even if Emily hadn't just had a baby, I wouldn't be allowed to see her until Sam was satisfied that I wasn't a safety risk.

"What do you want?" Leah barked.

"Um, Hi, Leah… I need you to do me a favor," I whispered behind the bathroom door, holding my phone close and covering my mouth so that the boys wouldn't hear. It was a futile effort because they'd all know as soon as Leah phased, but pretending to have privacy was better than acknowledging that I had none.

"What kind of favor, and why should I bother?"

"Well, it's simple really, I just need some pads, and I'm asking you so that the guys don't have to go out and get them."

There was silence from the other end.

"Leah?"

"Fine, but this is a favor to the guys, not you, and you're going to use whatever I bring," she growled.

"Okay," I agreed. She hung up on me. I really didn't care what she brought so long as I had something. It'd been a while since I needed anything like that. I shivered momentarily at the memory of coming while Edward fed. I really needed to stop thinking about him.

"Bells!" Seth pounded on the bathroom door. I smiled. Seth was a bright point, the kid could make me smile just by walking in the room. He was a lot like Jake used to be before the war. The constant fighting and moving had worn him down. The fact that I was in danger made it harder on him. Seth was still a kid in many ways. He'd fought but not nearly as much as the others. Seth was usually assigned to me during a skirmish. He and Brady had always been the ones to retrieve me.

I stood and opened the door. He pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Seth!" I pulled him in tighter.

"I'm glad you're alive," he sighed. "After we turned you over, I wasn't sure… I didn't believe Sam and Jake when they showed me…."

"I'm fine."

He placed me back on my feet and I let go of him.

"You look good, healthier," he smiled. "It's like you've got some decent muscle on you now."

"Thanks," I said.

He led me out into the main area, this cabin consisted of one bedroom, a bathroom, and a combined kitchenette/living room. There was an outdoor kitchen with a fire pit. I could smell meat roasting outside. My stomach rolled a little bit.

"You're not overcooking that, are you?" I ventured out to check the meat on the fire.

"It's pork, Bella, it needs to be cooked well…"

"Yeah, but you don't want it dry, "I protested and poked at the meat with a thermometer. When I turned back, he was smirking at me.

"It's true, isn't it? You're eating meat every meal now?"

"Yeah," I stepped away.

"That's quite a difference from the odd burger at the diner," he remarked.

"I don't want to talk about it," I sighed and went back into the cabin.

"Bells!" he called. I stopped and turned. "We don't have to. I know the older guys are all hounding you, trying to figure out what's wrong, why you're different…."

"I'm not different."

He gave me a look that told me I was different, and that I knew it.

"So… my bitch of a sister is coming over," he groused.

"Language, Seth," I scolded.

"I'm not a little kid anymore," he shrugged. "Leah _is_ a bitch."

"I'm not going to pass judgment on her. She doesn't like me and she has plenty of reasons not to. She's dropping by as a favor," I defended her.

"I heard," he said.

"Have I mentioned that I hate being surrounded by supernatural creatures?" I groaned.

"Just a part of nature, Bells."

I rolled my eyes.

"A girl should be allowed some privacy, a few secrets, maybe just a bit of discretion." It was irritating that no matter where I seemed to be lately I had no privacy. The wolves couldn't give it, and Edward never allowed it. It seemed that no matter where I went, everyone knew my business.

"Sorry, no privacy in the pack, you know that," he chuckled. "Leah doesn't have any either. It's worse for her with the pack mind, not so great for me either." He led me back onto the porch and we sat in lawn chairs.

"I can only imagine," I conceded.

"No, you can't. Sam and Embry have both… yeah… and her being naked when she phases. A guy just shouldn't know this stuff about his sister," he complained.

I knew that Leah and Sam dated before he imprinted on Emily, but Embry was a new development.

"Embry and Leah?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, they're not imprints or anything but – they- they relieve stress together," he stuttered and ran a hand over his close cropped hair. "He's more attached than she is, which makes it even worse."

"Any other pack gossip?"

"Not really, you're the only other item of interest and you've made it clear that you don't want to discuss you," he sighed and sniffed the air. "Food's done."

We ate in silence. Leah turned up just as Sam was licking his plate. She scowled at the two of us and tossed me a plastic bag from the pharmacy. She'd bought three different types of pads and a small box of tampons. I guessed that she didn't hate me nearly as much as she claimed.

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," she grunted and grabbed a plate of leftovers before Seth could attack it. "What were you raised by wolves?" she smacked his hand away from the plate.

Seth chuckled then howled.

"The council's going to meet again tomorrow," she informed us between bites.

"Why?" I asked. The council had already met for the month, just after my arrival.

"You, and your newfound superhuman powers, of course," she mumbled.

"My cue to leave," Seth blurted out and stood.

"You don't have to go," I told him.

"I'm not up for watching the two of you fight this evening, and that's the only place this conversation goes," he said. "Besides, the guys would hate it if I ruined their fantasy about the two of you…"

"Zip it!" Leah shouted and smacked Seth hard.

I waited until Seth was out of earshot. "They have fantasies about us?"

"Mud wrestling," she rolled her eyes. "There's another one involving you and me ripping off each other's clothes and making out angrily. Boys will be stupid and all that crap."

"How do you deal with that?" I rested my chin on my hands.

"The pack mind is a crazy thing. They see my fantasies too," she grinned. "Sometimes I come up with preposterous situations involving them just to watch them squirm. Paul and Jared in particular are easy to mess with," she chuckled.

"So, you imagine them doing things?" I could feel my eyes go wide in shock.

"Oh, yeah, Paul going down on Jared in particular causes a stir. It's pretty easy since I've seen them all naked."

I laughed.

This was a side of Leah that I'd never seen. She was always so closed off before I left. She resented me; my relationship with Jacob pissed her off. It seemed like she might have gotten over it in the year I'd been gone.

Leah polished off her food faster than Seth had eaten his, but with slightly more grace. She didn't lick her plate or wipe her fingers on her shorts.

"You're being nice to me," I indicated the bag of feminine products.

"I've had an epiphany," she announced. "You and I need to stick together. Now that you're a freak like the rest of us, you can fight. I thought maybe we could make a partnership of sorts?"

The thought that I'd be allowed to fight was new. Surely Jacob would prevent it from happening. He was too protective of me. I figured that as soon as fighting broke out he'd have Brady or Seth whisk me off to LaPush proper to wait out the skirmishes like I had before.

"Have you discussed this with Sam and Jacob?" I asked, knowing full well that she hadn't, otherwise the discussion would have been forbidden.

"Do I look stupid to you?" she smirked. "I figured I'd see if I could get assigned to you during battle, and when it was time to leave we just… wouldn't."

"I see two problems with this," I sighed, "One, you've thought about it and thus it's bound to get back around to them before it actually happens, and two, I don't know how to fight. You have claws and teeth, I have no weapons that can harm a vampire…"

The shit-eating grin on Leah's face stopped me.

"Leah Clearwater, what are you up to?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have something for you," she smiled and pulled what looked like a rather large knife out of her back pocket. The handle was mother of pearl, and the blade was enclosed in a thick, curved leather sheath.

"A knife," I scoffed, taking it from her. "You want me to fight vampires with a knife…"

"It's not just any knife, pull it out," she tapped the table impatiently.

The blade was curved, and black, and definitely not metal. I ran my finger along the edge only to have it slice through the skin of my fingertip with barely any pressure. A single drop of blood oozed out before the cut closed; I wiped it on my jeans.

"What the…" I breathed.

"It's a claw, my claw to be exact," Leah smirked. "As it turns out, we can and do loose them. It got caught between two rocks and ripped off down past the dew claw. It bled and hurt like a bitch by the way, and walking around without a fingernail for three days while it grew back in was a pain in the ass. I went back for it and had it made into a knife."

"So this is your claw?" I asked, turning the blade over. I avoided cutting myself again.

"Well, it's yours now," she said. "Now you should be able to defend yourself."

I stared at her in shock.

"What?" she snapped.

"You hate me," I said, still fiddling with the knife. "You despise me. From day one, you've been all for just handing me over to the vampires because you don't want to be bothered with babysitting me."

"I've never hated you," she rolled her eyes.

I was taken aback.

"Liar," I accused her.

"I'm not lying. I disliked you. I felt like you were a liability from a tactical standpoint. I was fairly certain that we could fight better and more effectively if we didn't have to spend time and resources protecting you, but I never hated you," she explained. "I also might have been a little jealous that even though you weren't Jake's imprint that he stayed with you…"

"If he'd found his imprint, I guarantee you that he would have ditched me in a heartbeat," I laughed.

"… but you would have known why. When Sam left me, I had no clue why he was suddenly all over my cousin of all people. It was mortifying," she whispered. "I was jealous. Here you were, not even a member of the tribe and you knew the secret before I did. It was infuriating."

"Leah, I only knew because I was being stalked by a vampire who'd gone rogue and decided to start trouble," I scoffed. "Jacob freaking phased in front of me for crying out loud, how was he going to spin that? He had to tell me the truth!"

"I'm not saying it was right, just that I thought it," she shrugged and took a drink from her brother's abandoned glass of water.

"You are such a bitch," I growled.

"Literally," she smirked. I stifled a laugh. "Here's the deal, Bells, you're not utterly useless anymore. You heal fast, you're strong, you could probably be an asset rather than a liability this time around, but the boys… Well, the boys are never going to let you make that decision. They're going to control your life and I think you've had enough of being controlled."

Oh, if she only knew. There were ways that I totally wanted to be controlled, but she was right in that I didn't want someone making all of my choices for me anymore, just certain ones.

"Listen," she continued, "You're faster than you were, and somewhat invincible, if I trained you, you could fight."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Leah."

"What's the worst that could happen?" She grinned conspiratorially.

"I could get kidnapped by the Volturi and used as a sex slave and a blood bank," I deadpanned.

"Well, you've already been there. You really don't have much to lose."

**~EnP~**

Leah petitioned Sam to let her be my personal bodyguard after that. She and Jake were the only two who watched me. Leah moved with me every three days to a different cabin on Quiluette ancestral lands. We would wait for Jacob to go to sleep or to leave, and then she'd teach me how to knife fight. Leah thought of everything, she even made a wooden replica of my claw knife for me to use in practice.

I had previously thought that ballet was difficult. Fighting Leah was like ballet on fast forward with sharp objects. The truth was, I wasn't fast enough. In human firm, Leah couldn't move quite as fast as a vampire, and I couldn't really keep up with her. I tried, I failed. It was hopeless. I was hopeless.

"Can we just face the fact that I'm not going to get this?" I panted.

"Are you a quitter, Swan?" Leah goaded me.

"No, I'm just not that damn fast! I'm too slow. If I can't keep up with a human you in a fight, what makes you think that I can fight a vampire?" I kicked a lawn chair, sending it flying across the small yard into a tree.

"You're holding back," she insisted.

"I'm really not," I said in earnest. "I'm actually trying to kill you, you demanding bitch."

"Woof."

_Bitch._

"I appreciate all the effort you've put into this, and how you've kept it from the pack, but it's just not going to work." I plopped down in the grass and examined the knife.

"Bella Bella Bella…" Leah sighed. "Get off your ass. Let's go through it slowly again."

"I can do it slowly, it's fast that's the issue," I protested.

"You're a dancer, you know all about muscle memory, as soon as you learn how to move slowly, you can speed it up." She grabbed my arm and yanked me back to my feet.

I was beginning to seriously doubt Leah's sanity. She came at me more slowly. She held her hand in a claw shape, claiming that most vampires would use the hand to grip body parts and the nails to tear flesh.

"Don't let me make contact," she warned.

I deflected her blow upward and stopped when I realized my mistake. I'd used the outer bone of my wrist to push her hand up and around. This would work with Leah, and would be highly effective on a normal human since that bone is strong and can cause damage to an attacker while deflecting, but a vampire's arm would break my wrist no matter what position I used it to block.

"Again," I huffed, disappointed.

She came at me again and instead of using my arm, it suddenly occurred to me to use the knife. I lifted my wooden practice knife and wrapped the curved blade around her wrist, using her own momentum to pull her down and slightly off balance. Once her balance was disturbed I stepped around her using the knife to pull her arm back. I jerked upward, freeing the fake knife from her wrist in a painful manner and slid it up to her neck.

"That'll do," Leah praised me. "It's not what I taught you, but that'll do."

"Do you think it'll actually work?" I asked.

"I'm fairly certain it will. You would have cut my hand off at the wrist had that been a real knife."

I released her, and stepped back two feet. She started to rub her wrist as she turned around. It was bruised but the evidence wouldn't last long.

"Want me to try that up to speed?"

"Not on me," she said. "Even with the wooden knife you're likely to take my hand off doing that little move faster. Just practice the motion."

I ran through the exact motion I'd used to capture her hand several times. It was easier to remember than what we'd worked on previously. This I could do. By the seventh repetition I was moving in a flurry of hands, feet, and knife that seemed like it might just be fast enough to take out a vampire.

"Very nice, let's see what else you can come up with," Leah cheered. I could hear Jake stirring in the cabin, she'd woken him. "Shit. Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow," I agreed.

We slunk back into the house. Leah donned a pair of fingerless gloves to hide her wrist, and I hid my practice knife. If we were careful, then Jake would never catch us.

He was awake and in my room in a matter of minutes. I'd been continuously fending off his advances, Leah found it highly amusing. It wasn't as if the entire pack hadn't been accidentally informed of my intentions not to have sex with Jake again, and yet he was still trying.

In an intimate gesture, Jake sidled up behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist. His hand slid under my shirt onto my bare stomach. I was about to tell him exactly where he could go, but I felt an unnatural lurch. Jake and I both looked down at his hand. He increased the pressure and it happened again.

"What the…" he breathed.

"Oh shit!"

I hadn't used the pads Leah had brought me, because my period hadn't started. I counted back. They'd been in my suitcase for three moves. Nine days. I was late before that. There was no way..

"Oh shit," I sighed.

* * *

**End Note:**

**Many of you may have heard that this summer I will be serving as Professor Ginger Wombatkat for Project Team Beta's Smut University. I'm really honored that they asked me. **

**A note on Updates, I know that I don't update on a schedule and it frustrates some of you. However, I'm not going to stress myself over fanfic. I write this baby when I feel like it. **

**There's some truly awesome dark stuff out there. Bide your time with some awesome stuff by Nitareality or jadalulu or Amelie Gray, or you could check out Deviants of the Dark and see who they're rec'ing. **

**Anyway, this chapter marks an end of a section of the story; we're into more interesting waters very very soon.**


	10. Run

**A/n:**

Thanks to Maleficentknits and Aleighy for their mad beta/prereading skills. This would be a much less readable story without them.

* * *

Jacob pulled away from me, and backed into my bedroom door. His eyes were wide with shock.

"Was that…?"

"No," I laughed nervously. "There's no way. I've only…" I really wanted to tell him that I'd only ever done it with him, but that was a bold faced lie. It was also pretty darned obvious that if I was pregnant it wouldn't be his. We'd used protection and it was at the end of my cycle.

"How long?" he growled.

I blinked at him, the question didn't make sense.

"How long have you known? How pregnant are you?"

"Jake, I'm not. There's no way, right? It's just not possible." I moved to the other side of the room, putting the bed between us.

"Bella, that felt an awful lot like something kicking in there." He pointed at my abdomen.

My hand unconsciously shifted to protect my stomach from his accusation. It was still hard, like it had been days before, and I could feel something.

"But I haven't…"

_Shit._

How was I supposed to defend myself?

"You have to have known, you typically can't feel movement until like the fourth month, Bella. How long have you known about this?" he shouted.

"How would you know anything about pregnancy? Not that this is one, because it's not."

"Sam made us all read _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ just in case something happened and he wasn't around. You're looking a lot like you're pregnant."

I flinched, and clutched my stomach tighter.

"I'm only a couple of weeks late, there's no way that this is – is… There's just no way, Jake," I argued.

"Then what the fuck is it, Bella?" he spat.

"Indigestion," I answered weakly.

The door swung open behind Jake. Leah was standing there with her hands on her hips, holding a sandwich. She looked irritated.

"What the hell is going on in here? You've interrupted sandwich time," she huffed.

"Bella is pregnant, really really pregnant, and has been hiding it from us," Jake growled again.

"I'm not, there's just no way," I protested.

"Only one way to find out…" Leah cocked her head to the side. "Jake, go run to the store like a good boy and buy a test."

"This is ridiculous! We used protection! There's absolutely no way… I'm just… I'm not even going to say it, that's how preposterous this is."

"Bells, knock it off and chill out for a few. Jake, I'm not leaving you alone with her, so go buy a pregnancy test," Leah ordered.

Jake backed out of the room, leaving me with Leah. We stood there just staring at each other until Jake was out of earshot.

"Your bags are packed, right?" she asked.

"I haven't unpacked since we started moving around again."

"Good, I don't think I'm going to be able to help you, but I'll do what I can," she said, her tone was dead serious.

"What are you talking about?" I stared at her, confused.

"He's not going to get a pregnancy test. Jacob's calling a council meeting, he ran in the wrong direction," she explained.

"But I'm not…"

"Pregnant," she finished for me. "If there's anything I've learned it's that there's more possible stuff in this world than impossible stuff, and you _have_ been having sex."

"Leah, Jake and I used protection, and vampires can't procreate," I scoffed. I felt my stomach thump lightly against my hand again.

"Vampires can't have sex with humans either," she pointed at me, "and we all see how well that went."

"But there'd be others, wouldn't there? Vampires have been around forever. Carlisle is centuries old…"

"Most people don't fuck their food, Bella."

Leave it to Leah to find the exact insensitive words that I needed to hear. There was silence between us for a few moments before it was broken by a gasping breath, mine. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. Reality came crashing down. I was carrying a mutant hybrid baby of some kind.

"I'm not saying that it can't be Jake's, because it's much more likely for the condom to have failed than you being pregnant with vampire spawn. But whatever this is, it's part you, and you don't exactly seem all human lately." She grimaced. "I'm not saying this to scare you, but I really don't know what the council will do. I don't know what Sam will do. I'm assuming that they'll want to get rid of it."

I was still crying. I'd started to rub my stomach in some instinctual motherly manner that I never knew I possessed. I was automatically reacting to the information on a physical level. There was something inside of me, something small and tiny, and more likely than not, Edward's. The second I thought it, I knew it. As unlikely as it was, this was Edward's child. I had to protect it because no one else would.

"I need to go," I whispered.

"Your Volvo's here," she said, fishing the keys from the pocket of her cutoff shorts. "If you take the fire road through the forest, rather than going down to LaPush, you'll be off ancestral lands faster."

"Come with me?" I didn't want to be alone.

"I can't. I'm of no use to you anyway, the second I phase, you won't be able to rely on me," she sighed. "If Sam orders me to kill you, or restrain you, I won't be able to refuse. Remember, Alpha's orders have to be obeyed. He doesn't use it much with me but I think this would be the exception."

I nodded.

"Carlisle Cullen is your best hope; he and the golden-eyed Cullens, the vegetarians, never sided with the Volturi. I don't know if they'll be able to protect you from them, but they're your only option. You can't make a run for it like this."

I nodded again. My vocal chords were paralyzed. This was all too fast, hadn't I just been planning to fight with Leah when the Volturi brought the war back to our door? Weren't we just allies? It only took a matter of minutes for her to tell me that I couldn't trust her, that I had to leave, and that Jacob was currently betraying me to the council. How did everything get so fucked up so quickly?

I quietly collected my things. It didn't take long to shove my dirty laundry into my bag and zip it. I pulled out Leah's claw and offered it to her. If I was going back, then I'd be on the wrong side of the treaty. I was going to Edward, not Carlisle.

"Keep it," she said, and pressed it back into my hand. "You'll probably need it even more now."

A single tear dripped down Leah's cheek. I brushed it away with my thumb, and hugged her tightly. She sniffled and returned the hug. It was an odd sort of bond that we'd formed.

With my bag on my shoulder and keys in hand I started to leave. Unfortunately, I'd wasted too much time. Jacob stood on the porch; we hadn't even heard him arrive. His arms were folded across his chest. He meant to keep me there.

"Move, Jake, I'm leaving."

"No," he grunted.

"You want me gone, that's blatantly obvious. Let me leave," I argued.

"Not until the council decides."

"It's not their problem, or their choice. I'll go back to the vampires. You won't have to deal with this." I folded my arms and mimicked his stance.

"We're waiting for the council. You don't get to decide, Bella," he spat.

I'd had enough. I shoved him. He grabbed my wrists painfully tight. I could feel the bones simultaneously strain and heal.

"Let go," I begged, new tears formed in my eyes.

"I can't, Alpha's orders. You will stay here," he said through gritted teeth.

"Jacob, you're hurting me."

There was a yelp off in the woods, and Paul came running into the small clearing shortly after it.

"Decision's made. We have no choice. You're to take care of it," Paul panted.

"No!" I shouted, struggling with Jacob again.

He subdued me in an embarrassingly short series of movements that ended with his arms wrapped around me, and his nose in my hair.

"I'm sorry, I have to… I can't… It has to be done. Please don't fight me," Jacob whispered. When he pulled back, his eyes were watery.

I saw an opportunity and took it, even though I knew that I couldn't outrun him. I slipped under his arms and ran for the car. I heard the telltale ripping noise of a wolf phasing, two of them. One moment my hand was on the car door, the next, I was on the ground, pinned down by a mass of smelly russet fur. I sobbed.

I felt his cold nose raise the hem of my shirt, and I felt the baby kick against it. I struggled to move my legs or my arms, but I couldn't.

"Jake!" Leah screamed. "Jake, Paul, no!"

Jacob paused with his teeth bared over my naked stomach.

"You're going to kill her," Leah cried.

Jacob growled softly.

"Are you prepared for that, Jake? Are you prepared to kill the only girl you've ever loved? She's there. That's still her, and the only way this ends is with her dead!" Leah shouted. She was off the porch, closer to us. "Please don't. Please don't do this."

Tears began slipping from the corners of my eyes, down my cheeks and into my hair.

"Jacob Black, you can't kill her, because no matter what Sam says, you still love her."

I could feel Jake's legs start to tremble, then he looked at me. He took a good, hard look, and released me. I didn't know what to do. Was he letting me go?

Jake turned on Paul. The two wolves bared their teeth at each other. I dumbly pulled my shirt down and sat up in the dirt. I couldn't move.

"Bella, go!" Leah shrieked.

I shook my head to clear it, still not comprehending what had happened. I stood to get into the car only to discover that the keys were no longer in my hand. I looked around and found them between Jacob and Paul. There was no choice, I'd have to make my escape on foot. If I remembered correctly, and there was a very big chance that I was wrong, the border wasn't far to the North on foot. I slung my bag across my body and ran.

There were noises behind me. Growling, yelping, and crashing followed me. I ran as fast and as hard as I could. My lungs were burning by the time I made it far enough away that I could no longer hear the fighting. I kept going, because there were more wolves out there and they would be coming for me. The treaty line on the North side was the river. I was pretty sure that Sam would have the pack pursue me over the line though. If he thought I was dangerous, he would do it.

I didn't stop when my feet touched the bank. I paused briefly when I reached the edge of the water to toe off my shoes. I spared just a moment to look at my bag before dropping it, and in it all of my possessions on the bank. I tucked my knife down the back of my pants, and dove in.

The water was freezing, I gasped as it covered me. There was no time to ease into it. I pushed on and started swimming for the other side. Halfway across my body acclimated to the water. It felt cold, but my teeth stopped chattering. When I surfaced for air there were tiny wisps of steam surrounding me.

I reached the opposite bank and trudged out of the water in wet jeans. They were too heavy, I couldn't run with them on, so I unzipped them and pulled the clingy fabric from my legs, I had to take off my shoes to remove them. There were noises not too far away. I grabbed my knife and left my shoes and jeans on the bank and ran as fast as I could.

Fifty yards into the forest, someone grabbed me. I tried to scream but a very cold, very hard hand clamped over my mouth. I was struggling to breathe through my nose since I was hyperventilating. The arms around me pulled me sharply back into a familiar form. I would have known him anywhere.

"Stop," he hissed sharply into my ear.

I involuntarily relaxed into him. Edward had been waiting for me. My breathing leveled out, and I closed my eyes. I felt safe; he would protect me from the pack.

"You're… warm…" he commented absentmindedly.

Without warning he slung me onto his back and began running through the trees. I held on tight and pulled deep breaths of his scent into my lungs. He ran until we were far enough away that the wolves wouldn't dare to follow us for fear of leaving the Reservation unprotected.

The sky was beginning to grow dark, and the shadows in the forest were lengthening into shapes that would frighten children. Edward allowed me to slip from his back onto the ground. I tried to step away from him but he turned and grabbed my wrist.

"You're not going anywhere," he murmured.

"No, I'm not," I answered softly.

"You will never leave me again, pet." He pulled my arm up to his face and ran his nose from my wrist to my shoulder. "You smell different... like the river and spices. It's… appealing."

"I'll try to remember that," I said.

"No talking," he reminded me with a firm swat to my hip.

I nodded.

"It seems that you've been a very bad little pet," he smirked. "You've run away from home, slept with a dog, somehow managed to get yourself run out of town, and you haven't been taking very good care of yourself."

He released my arm and started walking around me. Occasionally he would reach out and touch me softly with just enough pressure to be able to feel it. He took my hand and unclenched my fist that held the knife. It dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

"What should I do with you?" he whispered in my ear. "Stay."

He was away from me. He wasn't touching me any longer and it made me feel insecure. I needed him. When he returned it was with rope. I drew in a shuddering breath, and released it slowly, fighting the familiar chill that ran down my spine. It was time to pay the piper.

He removed my shirt and bra one-handed, but gestured for me to remove my panties on my own. As I bent over, he caressed my back and slid his hand over the curve of my hip. The gesture calmed me, centered me. I could feel everything else slip to the back of my mind. I was safe, the rest of the evening wasn't important. Edward would exact whatever punishment he thought necessary and we would go back to business as usual. He would make the rules, and I would obey them. It would be quite simple actually. I straightened myself.

"I am very glad to have you back," he murmured, stepping closer so that his body was flush with mine. We were like puzzle pieces snapping together, or spoons nestled up in a drawer. We fit. "But I do have to deal with your indiscretions." He kissed behind my ear and I shivered. "I'm going to let you choose." He sucked on the spot beneath my ear. "Ropes or paddle?"

I couldn't decide which would be worse. Bondage would last long enough to be painful, perhaps as painful as being beaten. I wasn't sure if I could bear anything like that first night with the speaker wire. However, submitting to punishment via bondage could result in being tied multiple times, like before the ginger. Which would be safer for the baby? There were too many variables.

"You're thinking about this too much, pet." He held my face and forced me to look him in the eye. "It's been too long."

I took a deep breath and found my center. I needed to give him an answer. "Both," I uttered the word as barely a whisper.

He nodded.

The rope slid over my body, familiar, welcoming. I hated it. I hated what it represented, my weakness. On one hand I could be held in place with it, and I disliked that, but on the other hand it represented my tie to Edward. He could tie me up and keep me secure with it, he liked having me at his mercy. My feelings were still rather mixed. I wanted it and hated it.

I let out a little huff at my own thoughts.

"Oh, pet, you've gone back to your old habits," Edward tsked. "I know what you're doing, you're overanalyzing this. Don't think. Accept it for what it is. You've done some very bad things, and now it's time to pay for them."

I closed my eyes and focused on the rope. He was wrapping me in a tight web, tighter than usual. When he finished, I was on my knees, bent over at an uncomfortable angle with my head close to the ground. He was gone momentarily.

"I'm not going to ask you to count," he whispered. "Just feel."

When the first swat landed, I was fine. He was using a leather paddle judging by the feel of it. I wondered if he'd been dragging a bag full of gear around the forest, waiting for me. Several more blows landed before I realized that I couldn't detach my brain and just feel them. I wasn't focusing. I couldn't find the place inside where his punishments usually sent me. I wasn't with him, my mind was back at the cabin, completely terrified of my best friend and one-time lover. I couldn't compartmentalize it. I was having trouble breathing. This wasn't how things had become. I'd fallen out of sync with Edward. It was more like the first time, when he was needlessly brutal.

Unlike the first time, he stopped mid swing. He sensed that something was wrong, and knelt down in front of me, lifting my head at an uncomfortable angle with tips of his fingers.

"Eyes," he said softly.

Whatever he saw changed his plans. I heard the paddle hit the ground, and then felt his cold hands removing the rope. It slid swiftly between his fingers and across my skin. When I was free he rubbed my skin, paying special attention to the rope marks.

"You're totally useless to me if you refuse to focus," he growled. Part of me was suddenly paying very close attention; I'd missed the growling. "We're going to revisit this punishment later, but for now it's been too long."

I nodded, keeping my eyes on his feet. I wondered idly how long it would be before I couldn't see them when he stood close to me.

Edward's hands hovered over my skin, touching me and not touching me. I was growing frustrated at the lack of actual physical contact. His proximity was causing an arc of electric current to crackle between us; if I crossed my eyes I could see it. I'm fairly certain that I made a whimpering noise. I needed him to touch me, I needed him to make everything better.

He finally brushed the hair off of my neck, and ran his long fingers down from my ears in a slow path down my neck to my chest. I felt the block of anxiety in the pit of my stomach begin to melt like ice. His cold hands continued their feather-light path down to my waist and up my back, his arms encircled me in what seemed suspiciously like a hug. He caressed his way back down my naked back, warming the skin there even though he was freezing.

I wanted to be closer, skin on skin, connected.

"Please," I sighed. I hadn't meant to speak. I waited to see if it would anger him, if it would break the moment. It didn't, not really.

He reached down between my legs and found my clit with his thumb. I pitched forward into his chest and grasped his shoulders, fingers digging into his shirt.

"Please?" I asked. I wasn't begging. This wasn't the same as before, I wasn't pleading with him to stop or begging him to continue, I was asking, not as a slave, but as a lover. "I want you."

He made quick work of unfastening his pants one-handed, while still rubbing my clit. My trembling hands slid under the back of his shirt. I was still leaning on him for balance. He laid down on the ground, bringing me with him. I settled myself over him and slid down.

"Ah," I panted. He hissed and grabbed my hips roughly.

I might have been on top, I might have been with him willingly, but Edward set the pace. He moved my hips up and down while thrusting until I felt my orgasm build and let loose with an intensity that I'd missed. He was hard, and firm, and cold. I'd missed him.

Spent from the day's excitement, I started to sway. He pushed me gently backward while he sat up. When he thrust, I was still sensitive but he was rubbing a totally different spot. I gasped and writhed.

"Oh oh oh oh oh," I chanted.

"You feel that?" he said too smoothly.

I nodded and muttered something that made no sense even to my own ears. I shuddered and came again, softly this time.

"You don't ever get to leave again," he growled and pulled me up to sit in his lap. His fingers dug back into my hips, bouncing me up and down. He thrust hard several times and came.

"I'm staying," I whispered into his neck.

"Good," he grunted.

I felt my eyes drift closed, and collapsed into him.

"Sleep, tomorrow will be a long day," he said just before I drifted off.

* * *

**End Note:**

Smut University starts this week, with a little something about research from me.

I know you all have questions, and that it seems like Edward didn't really notice anything, but he did. You'll see…


	11. Yellow

**A/n: Thanks to Aleighy and Maleficentknits. You're awesome. **

**More notes at the end.**

* * *

"We need to talk."

Possibly the most sinister sentence in the English language is what woke me up at dawn. Edward was crouched next to me in a tent. I was predictably shocked by my wake-up call as well as my location.

_When did he set up a tent?_

I considered arguing. I thought about asking where we were. I pondered informing the irritated vampire next to me that the sun was barely on the horizon. If I'd been with the pack I would have said something, but this was Edward.

"Yeah," I groaned. There were things that we needed to discuss.

"You should have told me," he seethed. Waking up to an angry Edward was not pleasant.

_Told him? Told him what? _

_Oh. _

_The pregnancy._

"Oh, yeah, that…"

"Yes, that," he spat. "The fact that you're carrying a mutt's baby should have crossed your mind."

"I'm not –"

"Excuse me." He raised one perfect eyebrow at me like I'd said something amusing. "You most certainly are."

The movement from his eyebrow brought my gaze to his eyes, which weren't red. I froze. Edward's eyes matched Carlisle's, and the rest of the Cullens'.

"Your eyes," I breathed.

"You're pregnant!"

"It's not his." I said, stumbling over the words. It seemed that we would have to get through the whole pregnancy conversation before we could cover anything else.

"Whose?" he growled.

I looked away. He didn't believe me. I felt foolish for expecting him to actually hear me out. In addition, his eyes were distracting. They were a deep golden topaz, with darker flecks. I looked down to avoid them because nothing about this situation felt right, and eye contact was only making it worse.

"Eyes," he ordered, and I complied with a sigh. "Now, answer me."

I didn't answer; I felt my cheeks heat. I shouldn't have slept with Jacob, hurt feelings or not, it never should have happened. That night put me in the situation of feeling like one of those pathetic girls on Jerry Springer.

"How many?" Edward growled, turning away from me.

"How many…?" I asked, somewhat perplexed.

"How many _boys _did you sleep with while you were gone?" His quiet tone betrayed exactly how pissed off Edward was.

"Just Jake," I sighed. How was I going to tell him that this was his baby? I had no proof, just a feeling. "It was only the one time. I didn't know where I fi– "

"Then whom exactly do you propose _impregnated_ you? I'm fairly certain that you have a passable knowledge of biology," he cut me off.

"I think it's yours," I said as soon as I could find the words.

"Mine?" He turned back to me, aghast.

"Yes, yours." I felt my cheeks turn a deeper shade of red. Why was this so hard?

"Mine?" he repeated.

I nodded.

"That's not possible, Bella," he laughed.

"I'm fairly certain that it is possible," I countered.

"In case it hasn't occurred to you, vampires don't reproduce."

"Vampires also don't typically fuck their food."

He stared at me with those disconcerting yellow eyes. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"Okay, well vampires don't typically fuck their food and leave survivors, better?" I refined my statement.

"Your language has gotten worse," he scolded.

"Do you really want to get sidetracked by my potty mouth? The baby's yours," I snapped. "And your eyes are suddenly like Carlisle's. There are more important explanations to be given than my sudden _fucking_ lack of vocabulary."

"Watch your tone," he warned. His voice sent a chill down my spine. I'd stepped over the line.

"I'm not exactly your slave anymore," I asserted. It occurred to me, on a somewhat subconscious level, that the only way that Edward was going to punish me was if I let him.

He stared at me again. I was either making headway or heading for a night tied up in some uncomfortable position. I figured I'd risk it.

"Do you really think so little of Jacob and the pack that they'd run one of their own off the reservation, particularly a pregnant woman?" I shuddered, remembering the events of the previous night. I'd trusted Jacob my whole life, loved him, and he was going to … I shoved the thought back. I couldn't even think about it. It was too late, tears stung my eyes.

Edward didn't answer me. I rolled over and looked at the side of the tent, hiding and not hiding the fact that I was crying.

"We have company on the way, get dressed," he sighed, unzipping the tent. A cold gust of air blew across my back, which I hadn't noticed was still naked. He'd tucked me into the sleeping bag without any clothing. I'd been so caught up arguing with him that I didn't feel it. Edward was very good at forcing me to focus on him and only him.

I slid out of the bag and found my clothes piled nearby. I slid them on quickly before unzipping the tent and going outside. I was shocked by my surroundings. We were in the mountains. It was cold, I could see my breath. Edward shrugged out of his coat and handed it to me. I shoved my arms in and pulled it around me. It smelled like him.

"Who's coming?" I asked.

"My family," he growled.

Why was he upset that his family was coming? I had obviously missed something. Edward always seemed to have a strained relationship with Carlisle, the only member of the family I'd ever really seen him interact with, but Alice and Jasper didn't seem to have a problem with him. They'd been at the border that time, preventing him… preventing him from getting to me. Was he not supposed to find me?

I could fix this; he was merely saving me from a pack of murderous wolves. I would have to talk to them, make them see…

I saw swift movement in the forest below us before they appeared. Rosalie was first. She ran ahead of the rest of them, rage contorting her face. She was followed closely by Emmett, who seemed to be paying more attention to her than Edward or me. He caught her around the waist just as she reached out to grasp Edward. Edward had merely been watching her approach as one uninvolved in the situation. I felt that he was foolish to underestimate her; she seemed fierce. Jasper was two steps behind them, concentrating on something.

"Let me go!" she screamed and thrashed against Emmett's grip.

"No," Jasper asserted calmly.

"Stop that, I don't want to calm down. I don't need to…" She suddenly stopped fighting. "Bastard."

"Cutting things a bit close, brother," Edward stated.

"Don't," Emmett hissed. Rosalie squirmed a bit and then settled down again. "Don't call me brother."

Alice, Carlisle, and Esme quickly took positions behind the other three. Their posture was deceptively casual. They only seemed like they weren't looking for a fight. Esme was even standing on the balls of her feet, ready to pounce, and she didn't seem like the type. I fought the urge to step back away from them.

"Bella, come here," Carlisle beckoned.

"No, I'm fine," I squeaked, forcing myself to take a step closer to them. I inched my way over to him and slid my arm around his waist. He pulled me behind him.

"She doesn't want to go," Edward laughed.

"You don't have the Volturi behind you this time," Emmett commented. "We plan on protecting her."

"No," Edward growled in earnest. I could feel it through his back. The low rumbling started in his midsection and moved out to envelop his whole body.

"She has options, now. You don't really think she'll stay." Rosalie folded her arms, brushing her mate aside in the process.

"Your misguided attempt at assistance is appreciated but entirely unwarranted. Leave."

"Edward," I whispered. Talking out of turn was a risky move, but I needed Carlisle.

Edward tensed.

"Edward, in light of the current situation, I think we need Carlisle. _I_ need Carlisle," I whispered into his back, gently brushing my fingers from his shoulders to his waist. "Can I talk to them?"

Rosalie snorted derisively.

Edward growled.

Alice or Esme tsked. I wasn't familiar enough with either of them to discern which one made the noise.

Something passed between the others and Edward. He relaxed.

"Bella?" Jasper addressed me. "Will you come out from behind Edward?"

Edward's grip loosened, and I stepped around him. His arms instantly wrapped back around me, like someone was going to snatch me away.

I was facing six vampires. It was slightly intimidating.

"Um… we… uh… We have a situation," I stuttered.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow, but the rest stood stone-still.

"I'm pregnant," I blurted out.

"Pregnant?" Carlisle was the first to react.

"Um, yes?"

"A wolf pup would certainly explain why I can't see her clearly," Alice sighed.

"Well, then we need to get you back to LaPush," Esme said. She looked like she wanted to congratulate me. She didn't understand.

"The pack ran me off the reservation last night," I said. This was met with many puzzled looks. "It's um… not a wolf cub."

"Not a…" Alice blinked rapidly.

"What do you mean?" Jasper squinted.

"No way!" Alice clamped her hand over her mouth. I glanced at Rosalie, who had been so nice to me before; she was livid.

"Bella," Carlisle held up his hand to stop the others. "Are you insinuating that the baby is Edward's?"

"It would have to be," I laughed weakly. No one other than the pack seemed to want to believe that fact. "Pregnancies among those who aren't imprints with babies from members of the pack are uncommon, and pregnancies in the pack progress normally. This is most definitely not normal. I can feel the baby moving."

I blinked and Edward was crouched between me and his family.

Carlisle sighed. "I can't do anything here, Edward. I need to take her back to the house."

"Edward comes with me," I demanded. I could tell that no one expected that reaction from me. I needed him, but I also needed some answers, answers I wasn't likely to get from anyone other than Carlisle.

"That's acceptable," Carlisle agreed, but Edward didn't move.

Edward had progressed to snarling. "No."

"Edward." I reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm going to need medical attention unless you intend to do this the old-fashioned way…"

"Fine, we'll go but you don't leave my sight,' he grunted.

"Okay," I agreed.

"We need to get moving," Alice said quietly. "You weren't exactly careful about covering your tracks last night."

"There's danger?" I asked Edward, because even though I knew that he was unlikely to answer he was the one I was most comfortable asking.

"There's always danger with Edward," Emmett laughed bitterly, and I jumped. He'd moved closer while I was focused on Edward.

Edward caught me before I could fall over. He shot a death glare at his brother. Edward ran a hand over my hair. "You're alright."

I couldn't tell if he was asking me or telling me. I nodded anyway.

"The pack?" I couldn't think of anyone else who would be after us.

"No," Edward said, but didn't offer any further explanation. I tried to think of other enemies we could have.

"Who - ?"

"We need to go," Alice interrupted me.

"Edward, the house really is the easiest place to defend…" Jasper began to explain halfheartedly. It sounded as if he wanted to say something else.

"On my back," he sighed quietly. I jumped as he pulled me up onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly, and Edward gripped my legs.

He started running before I was ready. I tucked my head down behind his shoulder so that I couldn't see the blurry green and brown of the trees as we passed them. It took mere minutes to arrive at the Cullen house, even though driving would have taken over an hour. The vampires made a bee-line through the forest. Near the end of the trip Edward leapt into the air. I made the mistake of looking, only to find that he was bounding over a river. He stopped suddenly.

"Down," he said softly. My feet touched the wood floor of the deck. I swayed slightly as I released my grip on his neck. He turned to steady me with his hands on my hips. I felt sick. My stomach was suddenly completely unsettled. I turned and dry heaved over the deck railing.

"Esme!" Edward called. He was still holding me upright.

I coughed and sputtered a few times before my stomach gave up on emptying itself. There was nothing there anyway. I'd missed dinner the night before because of the drama with the pack, and then reuniting with Edward. Realistically, I wasn't going to stop that reunion for food.

"Oh, Bella." Esme was at my side, trying to steer me away from Edward. He growled at her and she released me as if burnt. "I was only going to take her to the bathroom, and you know it," she scolded him.

"I'm staying with her," he grunted. "I called you because she apparently hasn't been eating."

"I just missed dinner last night," I explained.

He glared at me, with those strange eyes again, for speaking out of turn, and I glared back.

"I'm not your slave." If I asserted the point enough, maybe he'd believe it.

His lips fought a smile. I wondered what that was about. We'd yet to successfully navigate any part of our discussion from earlier. It needed to be settled. I would need protection, but things couldn't be as they were before. I couldn't trust him, not in that way, not after…

"Not anymore," I corrected.

I forgot that he could read my emotions just by looking at my eyes. He was petting my hair again. It was like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"I don't plan on apologizing for anything, you need to understand that," he didn't bother to whisper. I realized that whispering made no sense. The others would hear everything anyway.

"Understood." I hadn't expected him to apologize, anyway. Part of me did want some answers but I doubted that I'd ever get them, at least not from him.

"Do you think you could eat some soup?" Esme volunteered, intentionally interrupting our conversation. "It's the only thing I remember how to cook."

"Um, I just…" How did one explain to a vampire that discussing food just after vomiting wasn't exactly a good idea. I looked at the railing I'd recently leaned over and hoped that she'd take the hint.

"Sprite or Ginger ale," Edward saved me. "She needs something to settle her stomach first. Sugar, no caffeine."

Oh shit, he was going to watch my caffeine intake. I briefly considered running for Florida. I didn't stand a chance at making it past the stairs.

"You're not leaving again." Edward's hand appeared around my arm. I must have been a bit too obvious in looking for an escape route. I could only imagine that he was going to be controlling.

"No, I'm not," I confirmed.

"Good."

I looked up and caught Esme staring at us, soda magically in hand.

"Here," she said quietly and passed me the glass. I took it carefully and sipped the overly sweet carbonated beverage. I pulled a face.

"You need the sugar, drink." Edward tipped the end of the glass up just a bit, forcing me to drink more than I'd intended. He allowed me to stop just as I needed to take a breath.

"What? Can you not even let her hold her own glass?" Rosalie snapped from the doorway.

"It's none of your concern," Edward said, eerily calm.

Rosalie huffed, and flung her hair over her shoulder as she walked away. I'd never really seen anyone do that. I wondered if she was a foot-stomper too.

I looked to Edward for an explanation, and received none.

"Drink," he ordered.

I complied. The carbonated beverage was actually helping me feel a bit better. I finished it in silence, passed the glass to Esme, and allowed Edward to steer me into the house. He guided me around with a hand gently resting on the small of my back. He was tense, I could feel it radiating off of him from everywhere but that hand. He was making me more than a little nervous.

Edward guided me up the stairs and to the right, into what I immediately recognized as Carlisle's office. It smelled like him. It only vaguely registered with me that I knew Carlisle's scent. The room also looked like him. The chair rail sat over blond wood paneling and below cream colored walls. Books of various vintages lined the shelves behind a massive desk, and paintings adorned one wall. My eyes darted between the artwork and the books, not knowing which to ogle first. I could have sworn that Carlisle himself appeared in no less than two pieces of art, but the books were calling to me as well. I wanted to run my finger along their spines, and see exactly what Carlisle had on his shelf.

A hand rested gently on my shoulder, Edward's. He guided me to a chair and indicated that I should sit. I took the proffered chair somewhat reluctantly. Edward stood behind me, his hand still resting on my shoulder.

"Alright," Carlisle said as he entered the room. "I want to run some blood work, see what your levels are like, and try to figure out what's going on here." He dropped some vials and a needle on the desk. I cringed involuntarily. He continued, ignoring my distress, "we don't have an ultrasound machine at home, but I'll make plans to acquire one. I think that it's best that we don't involve anyone from outside."

"You intend for us to stay here," Edward confirmed.

"It would be in Bella's best interest if you stayed, yes." Something passed between them. There was a slight twitch to Carlisle's normally perfect features, and Edward tensed behind me.

"Fine," Edward spat and turned to leave. "But I'll be downstairs running over our tactical options with Jasper."

The door slammed violently behind him.

I cringed. Edward's behavior was becoming somewhat erratic.

"What's going on here, Carlisle?" I whispered.

"It seems that my son has bitten off more than he can chew. In attempting to solve what he thought was a problem, he's created several more, some of which may have dire consequences," he explained calmly from behind his steepled fingers.

"What kind of problems are we talking about?" I asked, still keeping my voice down.

"He _can_ still hear us, you know. This is merely to give you the illusion of privacy since we can't really provide it, so I can't tell you."

"Because Edward would disapprove?"

"That is part of my reasoning. In addition, not knowing exactly what your current state is just yet, I don't want to cause you any undue stress."

I laughed, "Undue stress? Like this whole situation hasn't been one long episode of undue stress."

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "Sometimes when one tries to change the future, he manages to create something much more complicated."

"Edward tried to change the future?" I asked, sensing an 'in.'

"Enough of that," Carlisle shut down. "How are your symptoms?"

"Really? You're not going to give me any answers?"

Carlisle stared at me calmly in response.

"Fine," I huffed. " I am craving red meat. My sense of smell is suddenly really strong. My stomach is hard and larger than usual. I can feel the baby moving. I'm nauseous, and for some reason I can heal really fast. Oh, and sometimes I get heartburn."

"Do you mind if I go ahead and draw your blood?" Carlisle opened the plastic encased needle, and an alcohol swab.

"Yeah." I closed my eyes and proffered my arm. I tried to ignore the pinch of the needle and the slight smell of blood that entered the room. It was faint but nauseating.

"Almost done," Carlisle said soothingly as he switched vials. "I'm going to run a DNA test on you in addition to hormone levels, do you mind? Some of your symptoms, like the healing, aren't consistent with pregnancy."

"Fine," I sighed, not wanting to talk with the needle in my arm.

"Done," Carlisle announced, removing the offending needle.

I opened my eyes and watched my skin seal up. I looked up to find Carlisle watching as well.

"Freaky, huh?"

"It's definitely out of the ordinary."

I nodded.

"We need to talk about the baby. I understand that you're a bit further along than would be expected. I need to know what your intentions are." Carlisle was looking at me with his serious doctor stare, like he was trying to convey something really important. "I don't know what the result of this pregnancy will be if the baby is half vampire. I can't make any guarantees about your health and safety. It's also possible that this child could be a problem."

"A problem, how?" My hands settled protectively over my stomach.

"It most likely won't be normal, and I don't know what to expect. Vampires who are turned as children tend to be ruthless and violent. They never learn to control their bloodlust. If this child is a threat, then it will have to be dealt with…"

"You mean killed." My blood ran cold and the baby squirmed against my hands. I could feel tears forming behind my eyes again and couldn't fathom why.

Carlisle nodded. "We can continue the pregnancy, take the risk, and see where it goes, or we can terminate it and ensure that you survive."

"No!" I replied a little more vehemently than I intended. "The baby stays."

"Okay," Carlisle agreed grimly. "We'll be able to discuss your hormone levels tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm prescribing rest, plenty of fluids, a meal, and a warm bath."

Carlisle moved to leave, I grabbed his hand.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing, Bella," he smiled. I released him but remained in the office for a few moments after he left. Eventually, I rose from the chair and went looking for the kitchen. I wondered if the Cullens kept food in the house. I supposed that I was about to find out

* * *

**End Note:**

**READ ME!**

**This story has and always will be unapologetically what it is. I feel that you've all been warned sufficiently from the beginning, and you don't need to be coddled and protected. **

**I am going to say again that EnPointe readers are the best in the fandom. You are the most supportive and adventurous people I know. Thanks for sticking around.**

**New readers, welcome, I hope that you're enjoying the story.**

**The outtake I wrote for yellowglue's birthday is just that, an outtake – as in not part of the story. Why? Well, if you really think about it, Bella is just messed up enough to **_**not **_**hold the whole, "you nearly killed me" thing against Jacob. She'd be pissed at Edward, and Edward wouldn't get why… it's just too messy. So, unfortunately, Jake is still among the living. For the moment, he's more useful alive than dead.**

**I'm on twitter for incredibly brief periods of time as GingerWombatkat. **

**I have a blog, I plan on using it sometime soon. So far the only thing on there is my response to fandom drama in which I revealed way more about myself than I intended. Gingerenpointe(dot)blogspot(dot)com**


	12. Hell Hath No Fury

**A/N**

**Thanks for being patient everyone. This chapter's been a long time coming and I understand everyone's anxiety about that. **

**This one's for Hadley Hemmingway, DutchGirl01, and Pam69, as well as everyone else.**

**If you don't like the story, don't read it, and people who compare me to twelve year olds obviously have no clue how tweens write these days.**

I didn't have any contact with anyone other than Edward until morning. The rest of the family had made themselves scarce. I could only guess that it had something to do with Edward. He continuously hovered just behind me, and nagged me to the point that I wanted to use my knife on him.

"_You should eat more."_

"_That chicken should be cooked thoroughly."_

"_You need to get off of your feet."_

"_You need sleep."_

"_If you don't rest I'll be forced to take drastic measures."_

I'd laughed at that last one, until he picked me up and carried me upstairs to his room. The bastard tied me down, and insisted that it was time for bed.

"_I'm not a child," I protested._

"_Of course not, I wouldn't have had to truss up a child like a farm animal to ensure she gets some rest. Sleep."_

I woke up before the sun. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching me. He'd done it once or twice before when we'd lived in Seattle, but he always walked away after my eyes opened.

"Good morning," he said.

I tried to stretch but found myself unable to move. My muscles ached.

"I hurt," I responded, unexpectedly tearful.

Edward's fingers moved to the intricate weaving of rope that held me. He dispatched it rather quickly and rubbed my sore muscles. He helped me to a sitting position and placed a glass of water in my hands. I drank it greedily and asked for more. Edward poured me another glass; I managed to drink it a little more slowly.

"Carlisle is anxious to talk to us," he said.

"Okay, let's go." I stood up and winced. My hips hurt.

"I've sent Alice to get you a positioner."

"A what?" What the hell was he talking about?

"A special pillow for pregnant women, it should make you more comfortable," he explained slowly, like I couldn't understand him. I knew what he was talking about. Who the hell called that a positioner?

"I think not being tied up to sleep would help more," I grumbled.

"Then don't disagree with me," he growled, leading me out the door.

"Then be reasonable," I countered.

"I think I liked you better when you didn't argue."

"Stop acting like an overbearing ass and I won't," I snapped. I could tell that the pregnancy hormones were getting to me.

"Language," he chided as he steered me down one flight of stairs with an arm clutching my waist.

It was amazing to me how he could seemingly win an argument just with his tone of voice, even when he was clearly in the wrong.

"I would have stayed in bed," I whined.

"Really," he scoffed, still guiding me down the hallway.

I stopped, knowing that he would try to keep me moving toward Carlisle's office.

"I can take care of myself," I snapped.

He stopped walking abruptly, and stared down at me.

"I never said you couldn't," he hissed.

"Your actions say something entirely different."

"Isabella, now is not the time," he murmured in a dangerous tone. He then gripped my elbow and pulled me along.

Carlisle was waiting for us, sitting on his desk with a vial of blood in hand.

"Good morning, Bella, Edward," he nodded toward the chairs indicating for us to sit.

My still too sore body didn't want to cooperate. I managed to sit by slowly dropping myself down onto the cushioned seat. Edward slunk into the chair next to mine.

"Bella, I want you to know that I've made every effort to conceal any information I can from Edward prior to meeting with you."

I nodded.

I could hear Edward growling under his breath but couldn't make out the words. This was followed by a pointed look from Carlisle. They were communicating. This did nothing for my already foul mood.

"Fine," Edward spat.

"Thank you," Carlisle continued pleasantly. "Yesterday, I decided to spin down your blood in my centrifuge, here in the house before taking it to the hospital. I feel rather fortunate that I did so. He held up the vial."

It was one of the tubes he'd filled the day before, a large one. There was a layer of red at the bottom followed by a smaller layer of white, and on top a shimmering liquid. I really didn't know what to expect but I was fairly certain that it wasn't natural.

"That's not supposed to be – " I searched for a word to describe the color, " – shiny, is it?" I asked.

"No, it' not," Edward said. He was staring at the vial.

"It seems that Bella has been exposed to vampire venom," Carlisle said in a voice that was just shy of neutral; a layer of hostility was brewing just under the surface of his usual calm. I could tell that he really wanted to yell at Edward. I felt like I was missing something.

"Tiny doses over time," Edward sighed.

"Wait, what?" I shook my head to clear it.

"Over the past year, you've been gradually exposed to vampire venom. Every time Edward fed from you, small doses of venom have entered into your system. The slow buildup in your system went unnoticed by all of us. As a matter of fact, I would hypothesize that the venom was entirely inactive until your shoulder was injured," Carlisle explained.

"But he never bit me, don't his teeth have to break skin in order to inject venom."

"We don't have saliva," Edward sighed. "The venom in my mouth must have transferred to you when I drank."

"Then why am I still human?" I asked, confused.

Carlisle scratched his head. "Well, you're not human in the strictest sense of the word. You're a hybrid."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"There wasn't enough venom to change you," Edward said repentantly. "It wasn't able to overpower your immune system and mutate your bone marrow, or stop your heart. As a matter of fact, until…" Edward just stopped like he was paralyzed.

"Until Aro broke your shoulder and accidentally introduced some of his venom, your blood was most likely winning out," Carlisle picked up where Edward left off. "I don't know if it was the break or the new venom but your immune system has adapted. You're producing venom and blood."

"Noooo…" I shook my head.

"I'm afraid that it's quite true," Carlisle nodded. "Additionally, there are two types of venom in this vial Edward's and Aro's."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but venom is distinct, like blood. Also like blood you share traits with your sire, or in your case sires. I haven't run any genetic testing on your venom, but I can tell by scent that this isn't 100% Edward. It's not scientific, and I am in the process of running genetic testing to verify my findings, but it seems that you are a complete anomaly."

There was a quiet ripping sound coming from my left. I turned and saw Edward digging his nails into the armrest of his chair. Carlisle sighed, but Edward didn't loosen his grip. If he wasn't careful, he would rip the armrest apart. Personally, I couldn't process the information. I was struggling to find some sort of sensible question to ask but nothing was coming to mind.

"Am I going to change?"

"You already have changed, Bella," Carlisle said.

"Will I be a vampire?" I clarified.

"That, I can't answer," he sighed and tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Can't or won't?" I pushed. Edward let out a disapproving noise next to me.

"I don't feel that it helps any of us for me to guess at an outcome. We should take a wait and see attitude. I'll take another blood sample tonight and see if there are any changes. I would like to take one every night for the next week and see if the ratio between blood and venom changes." He glanced at Edward for a moment before turning back to me. "Also, you and Edward shouldn't engage in any –"I swear if Carlisle could blush he would have.

"I can't drink from you for the time being," Edward blurted out what was probably a sanitized version of what Carlisle was going to say. "I could accidentally expose you to more venom."

"I don't anticipate this being a problem as Edward has returned to the same diet as the rest of the family," Carlisle said.

That was when it finally clicked. "Is that what's different?"

They both just looked at me.

"Edward's eyes are a different color. I've never seen them gold before. They've always been black or red. I noticed the difference but he wouldn't explain," I rambled.

"Yes, the difference is dietary," Carlisle said coolly. "We try not to feed on humans. Instead, we survive on animal blood."

Questions began popping into my mind. I wondered why Edward drank from me in the first place if he could just go out and catch a deer. Why would he do that? Perhaps if he hadn't been drinking from me then things would have been easier, more normal.

I was angry. I could feel the emotion bubbling up from the deep dark places of my soul. He didn't have to feed from me. Apparently some little woodland creature would have done just as well. I felt something unfurl in my head and lash out.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened next to me. I was oddly aware of him, but that didn't help matters. My body recalled every time he pressed his cold lips to my broken skin, drawing out blood, every incision that he made. Every unnecessary scar he caused burned.

"Carlisle?" Edward asked tentatively. "Carlisle, I can't hear you."

Carlisle sat blinking at him in shock. The two were staring at each other.

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

I stood up from my chair and leaned over Edward's. He didn't even have the courtesy to be tense.

"None of that was necessary?" I growled.

"Not strictly speaking," he responded calmly.

I hit him square in the jaw, causing the bones in my right hand to splinter painfully. In reward, I saw the stone of his jaw crack. I felt the bones in my hand mend, the broken skin knit back together. As soon as the pain stopped I hit him again. If felt good, satisfying, like the pain I felt from hitting him was a release. When I pulled back to punch him a third time he deftly caught my wrist.

"No. More. Hitting."

"Bastard!" I shrieked and ripped my wrist from his grip. The skin tore and remended itself. "You couldn't just behave like a normal fucking asshole?"

"Language," he growled.

Why did the growling turn me on? That was an unfair conditioned response. I attempted to hold my ground.

Carlisle quietly excused himself.

"Fuck. You."

"Is that what you want?"

_Damn it. Not now._

"No."

"Liar," he smirked.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't, that's the problem." He stood and backed me into the desk. "You feel this, don't you? This angry, violent, sexual pull between us?"

"No," I lied.

"Liar," he whispered into my ear. His lips brushed against my earlobe caused an intense flair of need to build up in my stomach. "Neither of us may want this, but you are my mate."

"I didn't want to hurt you before," I growled, still angry but partially distracted by his body pressed up against mine.

"You weren't a vampire before. You were human, tender, sweet, and delicate."

He ran his hand from my cheek down my neck to the collar of my shirt.

"I'm really angry with you."

"You're really turned on by me."

"I do hate you."

"That's too bad, because you're my mate." He rested his forehead on mine and let his hand roam down the length of my body. "I'm fairly certain that you don't hate me. " His hand slid into my pants and between my thighs.

_Oh shit._

His very cold hand met unnaturally hot, wet flesh. Cold was good. Cold was very good. I sucked in a breath and tilted my pelvis to put his fingers where I wanted them.

"You lied to me," I moaned.

"No, we never talked about it. You assumed." He shifted his hand, applying more pressure.

"Lying by omission is still lying." I was a panting, needy mess. Damn it, how did he manage that? I was forced to completely suspend all rational thought as his fingers sped up, ushering me to orgasm. I shook violently as the feeling blossomed out from my stomach to the rest of my body. "Oh fuck!"

When I came down I pulled his hand out of my pants and tightened the drawstring. I was mortified. He'd just fingered me on Carlisle's desk to distract me from my anger. I felt it flare up again.

"Love and hate are very close cousins," he whispered.

"You're despicable," I grunted, pushing him away from me. He reluctantly shifted his weight back, allowing me to extract myself from between him and the desk. "You took advantage of me."

"No, I redirected your anger into something more enjoyable."

"Not just now, well that too, but before… you hurt me and you didn't have to."

"There were others watching," he hissed. "You have no idea how hard it is to keep you safe."

His hands were clenched into fists again, jaw set tight. He was angry.

"You are so full of shit." I marched out of the office, still slightly disheveled, and went searching for a bathroom. I wanted to wash the scent of him off of me, because just being around him made it permeate my clothes and hair. The smell kept me from thinking straight, and I needed to come up with a strategy for dealing with him. The baby kicked, I decided that he was agreeing with me. Edward needed to be taught a lesson.

**End Note:**

**Beyond the Pale is in full swing again. There are some really good entries already. I might put one in later because I'm a sucker for unloved prompts. **

**www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net /community /Beyond_the_Pale_Contest_Entries /83159/**


	13. Cuffed

**A/n**

**This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Mildred Dempsey, Merry Christmas! She had an idea and I ran with it. There's also some serious discussion in this chapter. NOTE: THIS CHAPTER WAS PLANNED BEFORE ALL OF THE FALL OUT AND PUBLICITY. I laid the groundwork for it a while back.**

**Thanks to the Marvelous Maleficentknits and the Gorgeous Aleighy!**

I was sulking. It wasn't the most productive use of my time but I was fairly positive that Edward wasn't going to allow me to do anything anyway. He'd brought me breakfast, which I ate while he sat and watched. I drank another two glasses of water, also while he watched. He just sat there, staring at me, observing. It was obnoxious but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Then, there was a scuffle outside.

"Stay here," he growled, storming out of the room. I heard the back door slam shortly thereafter. He'd left the house.

I exhaled slowly, relaxing my still too tense shoulders. What kind of an idiot tied up a pregnant woman all night?

Alice breezed into the room followed by Rosalie. They were each carrying multiple bags. I recognized a few, they'd been to Seattle.

"We come bearing gifts!" Alice chirped.

"Yay," I deadpanned.

"I told you this was stupid," Rosalie snapped at Alice.

"Now now, Rose, there are things Bella is going to need."

"Are you really keeping Edward's spawn? Carlisle says you're keeping it."

"Him, I'm keeping him," I answered.

"You're an idiot," Rosalie said, sitting next to me on the couch.

"This isn't going to work Rosalie…"

"Shut up, pixie."

"What isn't going to work?" I directed the question at Alice, figuring that of the two she would be the weak link.

"Listen, there's no reason to put yourself through this," Rosalie said, drawing my attention away from Alice who began to unpack the bags.

"Through what…? Pregnancy... Edward? …being stuck in a house full of vampires who don't drink from humans? What's the deal with that anyway? For the record, I was completely misled on this issue."

"I assumed that the dogs told you," Alice answered with an expression of surprise so horribly unconvincing that only my parents would believe it.

"No, no one told me," I growled.

Alice raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"It was part of the original treaty, and the only reason why we were able to get them to agree to one in the first place. We don't harm humans. It's rather like being a vegetarian," she chirped and continued to unload items from the bags.

"Edward fell off the wagon when he met you," Rosalie supplied.

"He what?"

"After nearly a century of not feeding on humans, he met you and completely lost his resolve," she explained.

"Why?"

"You smell really good," Alice all but moaned. "You're hard for most of the family to resist but it's exponentially more difficult for Edward. You are his singer."

I looked at her like she'd grown a second head. Alice's explanation required additional information in order for it to make any sense.

"It's like you're Filet Mignion, laced with heroin," Rosalie said.

"Only, you're only heroin for Edward," Alice clarified. "Do you remember when you first met him?"

"He was supposed to be my lab partner for bio, but when he left on my first day I didn't see him again until after the war started…"

"You barely survived that hour sitting next to him," Alice said. "He ran off, fed on a girl in Canada who looked like you, and then went to Italy. I can't give you many details on any of this because he did his best to shut me out. Something happened in Volterra, with Aro, that changed him. Edward came back with the Volturi and the war began. I have no doubt in my mind that Edward was in it for one thing and one thing only, you."

"That's really stupid," I said. "I would have left with him that first day."

When I thought back on it, and I had done so many times before, I could remember this feeling like a pulling sensation deep inside of me. I was connected to him, and I knew it all too well. I would have done whatever he asked without hesitation. It wasn't until after I knew what he was, after Jake had told me about him that I grew to distrust Edward and that feeling.

"He would have killed you," Alice confessed. "He wasn't prepared."

She sat down on the couch next to me.

"Why didn't he just talk to me?"

"He's a boy, they're stupid."

"Not _that_ stupid," Rosalie said. "I still don't get you. What is this?" She passed her hand in front of me, indicating my growing belly.

"Me, having the baby of the man I love."

"It can't possibly be love, sweetie. Not like this, not the way he…"

"Rosalie," Alice warned.

"No, Alice, I want some answers," Rosalie snapped.

"It doesn't matter," I said.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Rosalie turned on me.

"The only thing he really did was force a decision I would have made anyway," I tried to explain.

"No, he manipulated the situation and raped you."

I recoiled at the word. Had I been… ? I couldn't even think the word in the context of my situation. It seemed to somehow cheapen it. Other women had been through horrific things labeled that. This wasn't horrific. I'd had to make a choice, a stupid, difficult, insane choice, to which there was no good answer.

"I don't see it that way," I said.

"There's no other way to see it, Bella!"

"I had choices."

"You had shitty choices."

"True, but I had faith in the pack. Jacob could have taken out Edward," I said.

"You honestly believe that?" she scoffed.

"They're evenly matched, and if Jacob had thought Edward's death could keep me safe, he would have won. I don't think he understood what was happening until too late."

"This is ridiculous…"

"I think I get to decide…"

"Decide what?" she bellowed.

"I get to decide what we call this," I whispered. "It wasn't like that for me, okay? I wanted him. Maybe I'm sick but I wanted him in biology class. I wanted him when I saw him fighting in the woods. I dreamed about him. I wanted him when he asked for me, and I secretly wanted him when he took me."

Shit that was embarrassing to admit. It seemed so dark and wrong. I was twisted and wrong. I wanted the wrong things.

"He's your mate," Alice said. "You'll always want him like that."

"His mate?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, he's her Emmett," Alice whispered.

"But Emmett would never…"

"Emmett is what you need him to be. Edward is what Bella needs. He took it too far, but he's her other half."

Was that it?

"I just don't understand why he wasn't up front; why the charade?" I asked.

"That's not my story to tell," Alice grimaced. "It has more to do with Aro than Edward though."

"But he was brutal!" Rosalie argued.

"Overly so," I admitted.

"Then how…?"

"I don't fucking know, Rose," I snapped. "It just is, and the only thing about the whole fucked up situation that really pisses me off right now is the blood issue."

"You're pissed that he drank from you?" Rosalie looked at me, wide eyed.

"I thought he had to drink from me or someone else," I explained.

She just looked at me like I was the most screwed up thing she'd ever seen in her long life.

"Oh, Bella!" Alice clapped her hands.

"What?"

"You want revenge," Alice smirked.

"I want to teach him a lesson," I corrected.

"Well then, you, my dear sister, need a set of titanium handcuffs." Alice ran out of the room and returned in a flash with a wooden box. "Jasper's taken Edward out to patrol the forest, I suggest you get your plan straight. Use the desk chair, he loves it too much to risk damaging it."

"What the hell is going on here?" Rosalie asked.

"The less you know, the better," Alice chirped.

**~ENP~**

I was waiting for him. The cold cuffs dangled in my right hand behind my back. I considered my game plan. Edward wasn't going to cooperate with what I wanted, but this was the only way I could continue with him and still respect myself. If I'd lied to him either by commission or omission, there would have been dire consequences.

It was his turn.

"Edward," I sighed and squeezed my thighs together. I knew that he would take the hint. He'd probably already smelled me, as I was in a skirt without panties.

He smirked at my predicament. This was the way he always wanted me, turned on, uncomfortable. His next move was very fortunate for me. He sat in the chair at his desk and indicated that I should sit in his lap. I couldn't resist the smile that spread across my face. I tried to temper it a little so that it didn't seem triumphant.

When I was seated in his lap, facing him with my legs parted, thighs at either side of his waist, I took the initiative and kissed him. It was long and low and deep. His tongue slid along my own and built upon the heat that was already burning between my legs. He was, as usual, marvelously hard beneath me.

I moaned into his mouth and slid my left hand down his right arm. Surprisingly, he allowed me to move it. His left arm followed, and I knew from the upturn that his lips had taken that he knew I was up to something. I secured his hands quickly.

He leaned his head back and chuckled darkly.

"You have no idea what you're playing at, pet."

"I think I do," I murmured against his lips. "Try to get out of them."

I felt his weight shift as he pulled the chain between the cuffs taught. He grunted in frustration, and his playful smirk turned into a scowl. I smiled sweetly at him.

"Titanium," I whispered. "You'll get out of them eventually but not until I've made my point."

I reached between us and unfastened his pants, pushing them aside just enough to work free what I wanted. I felt him cold and hard against me. He was still struggling with the cuffs, which meant that my time really was limited. I leaned up and then lowered myself down on his length. He was as cold as I was hot. I moaned at the delicious feeling.

"You're such a good pet, Edward." I rolled my hips and gasped when he brushed up against my g-spot. "Oh there, so good," I whimpered. "I'm going to come. You like it when I come, don't you, Edward?"

I rocked and focused on the luxurious feel of him sliding in and out, hitting just the right spot over and over again. I paused for a moment and retrieved the lancet I'd stuffed in my shirt pocket.

"Don't worry," I said as I pricked my finger. "I'm going to take very good care of you too."

I smeared a drop of blood on his lower lip. His tongue darted out to collect it.

"You want my blood?" I asked.

"Yes," he grunted.

"Then you need to be a good little vampire and be honest with me."

He twitched inside of me, and my head lolled back just a bit. He was hitting that spot, the one that makes me lose all sense. He did it again. I moaned.

"You're a very bad pet, Edward. You just tried to make me forget why you're being punished."

Fuck, it felt good. I'd missed him, my body missed him, there was no way I was going without this again.

"You lied to me."

I could feel the preorgasmic flush taking over my body. I had to make my point before that happened. I fought to gain control.

"I didn't lie," he growled.

I reluctantly stopped rocking. He tried to thrust upward and I stood just out of reach, aching for him.

"You allowed me to believe that you _needed_ my blood. You didn't need it; you wanted it. There's a difference, Edward."

"You would have given it to me anyway, pet," he whispered.

"Yes, but you should have been honest. As punishment, you are not to lick anywhere I put this blood until you're free."

I had to reprick my finger. Rapid healing wasn't exactly convenient. I opened up a larger gash, this time cutting deeper. I put blood on my nipples, across his lips and mine, down my neck. I painted it carefully over my body, and then lowered myself back onto him. I was surprised that he complied. The blood remained streaked everywhere.

I resumed my work, sliding up and down while he kept up with me, rocking up as I slid down. I was on edge again within just a few thrusts. Little noises fell from my lips, I felt myself reach the edge, and I stayed there. I moved faster, trying to find what I needed. It was like fumbling for a light switch in the dark.

When I was about to give up, I heard a snap.

My eyes focused on Edward's face. He licked his lips and smirked. He was free.

His hands reached up and deftly caught mine before I had a chance to react. He pulled them tight behind my back, angling them down so that my breasts were thrust forward. His mouth fell on me. He licked and sucked the blood first from my nipples and then the small drops that had dripped to the swell of my breasts, each one in turn.

He thrust harder, and shifted my hands, pressing me closer to him. I felt the tiniest spasm of pleasure roll through me as he noisily sucked the blood from my neck, working his way up to my ear.

"You've made your point. Let me give you what you need," he whispered.

His grasp on my arms tightened painfully and that's when it happened. My whole body jerked and shook, coming to life, shaking.

"Oh, fuck yes!" I cried. I came hard and long. By the time I was finished he'd released my arms and I was draped over him.

"No more lies," I whispered.

"I can't promise, but I'll try," he said into my hair. "Let me put you to bed."

He moved me to the bed and disappeared for a moment, returning with a cloth. He washed the venom from my skin, and then tucked me in on my side with the pillow Alice had bought between my legs. As I drifted off I felt him slide into bed behind me, holding me. I sighed and felt the darkness of sleep crash over me.

**End Note:**

**I hope you enjoyed that. Happy holidays, everyone!**


	14. Honesty

**A/n:**

**Thanks to Maleficentknits and aleighy for preserving my dignity and checking my grammar. **

**In case you've forgotten Bella sought out a little revenge by turning the tables on Edward. This is later that night.**

* * *

It was late at night judging by the darkness of the room and the light seeping in under the door. Edward's fingers caressed the small of my back. I rolled to face him. His hand slid up my body as I turned, settling on my cheek.

"Hi," I croaked groggily.

"Hello," he whispered. He looked vulnerable and pensive; he didn't wear either well.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Not exactly. I feel that we need to have a discussion about our situation."

"Our situation?"

"Our spawn," he grimaced.

"He's a baby not a fish," I said incredulously.

"I feel that given our previous arrangement, I need to make it clear that you have options."

"Options?" I parroted.

"Yes, options. There's no need for you to endure… to subject yourself to…" Edward was flustered. I'd never seen him so out of sorts. His usually eloquent speech was stunted.

"To what? Pregnancy?"

"You don't have to keep it, not for me. I won't be angry. As a matter of fact, it would be the best choice for you…"

"You can't even say it, can you?" I challenged him.

"An abortion," he sighed. "It would be in your best interest to have an abortion."

"Edward…"

"Listen, our relationship is unconventional at best. You were forced into it; I've brought nothing but danger and chaos into your life. The pack would leave you alone. Aro can't track you, so you could hide from him. You should get rid of it, leave, and start your life over. I promise not to interfere…"

I shifted up onto my elbow so that my head was slightly higher than his.

"No."

"No?" He raised an eyebrow and allowed his hand to slip off of my face.

"The way I see it, you owe me. You've lied to me and manipulated my friends to force me into a relationship that I wanted anyway," I explained. "I want this baby."

"Having a child out of revenge isn't a wise choice, pet."

"We've already established that I'm not your pet, and this isn't out of revenge."

"Old habits," he sighed again. "Why else would you willingly choose to carry a child who could turn out to be a monster?"

"I don't know," I huffed and dropped over onto my back. "I just… I feel the need to protect him. No one else wants him to live, and that's sad for a child not to be wanted. He's part of me, and I want him."

I stared at the ceiling for several long moments. I knew about not being wanted. Renee and Charlie had done their best to show me love and affection, but I was certainly unplanned, and most likely unwanted. Neither one of them had any clue how to parent, and given her flighty nature paired with his stoic attitude, I grew up with minimal parental involvement. My mother was a friend and my father related that he loved me in his own emotionally stunted way, but it all came down to the fact that they didn't want me. This baby would be wanted, and loved, and I would care for him.

"So be it," he said. The finality of his tone made me turn my head and look at him. His face was hard, like he didn't agree with me. "If this is your choice, I will support and protect you. That is provided that you want me."

"As screwed up as this situation is, I want you," I confessed.

"Like a foolish lamb."

"Does that make you a lion?" I smirked at him.

"If the mane fits." He turned his body toward me and resumed the gentle caress that he'd used to wake me. "Why didn't we ever talk like this before?"

"You never would have allowed it," I scoffed.

"Aro wouldn't have allowed it," he corrected. "I'm not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination, but Aro is traditional. There are rules for relations between vampires and humans. In addition, I was too proud to recognize what we were. It's never happened before us."

"What?" My face scrunched up involuntarily. I was having difficulty following him.

"You're my mate," he said. "You were human and I wanted to devour you on multiple levels, but you're also my mate. I had to be with you, but I couldn't. Thus, I left for Alaska. I know that my sisters told you about the young woman I murdered."

I nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"I didn't want to live with myself afterward," his voice cracked. "She looked just like you and I left her broken and drained on the pavement. I went to Volterra seeking my own demise. Aro and Caius were unwilling to grant it." He fidgeted for a moment before continuing. "I can read the thoughts of others as they think them, but with a touch Aro can read every thought someone has ever had. He saw you and the pack. He wanted control over them, and you. He tried to hide his plans from me to no avail. I was to either kill you, so that your gift could never threaten him, or I was to change you and we were to join the guard."

"This still doesn't make any sense…"

"I was somewhat illogically angry with you."

"Explain," I growled.

"I blamed you for everything, for the situation with Aro, my loss of freedom, the death of the girl… it was all because you smelled so… appetizing. It wasn't right, and at times I was more brutal than strictly necessary…"

"Like in the beginning?"

"Yes."

"But later?"

"Later, I wanted to keep you safe from Aro, but I also noticed that you enjoyed certain things. This appealed to the monster in me. You liked the pain, and the loss of control, both of which are things that, as a vampire, turn me on." He had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm not a man. I can't relate to you in the way that one would. It's in my nature to take and to be violent. Some males are tamed by their mates, Emmett, for instance, is submissive to Rosalie even though neither of them realizes it. Carlisle and Esme have an interesting balance of power; he's in charge but in ways, so is she. Alice and Jasper are somewhere between them and us."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I folded my arms and shifted my weight since the baby was resting on my bladder and I wasn't ready to walk away from Edward's explanation just yet.

"I prolonged it," he blurted.

"What?"

"I figured out that I didn't have to kill you to drink from you. It started with your menses, but when I discovered that I could feed while satisfying you sexually, I couldn't give it up. I couldn't give up your humanity, your blood. I needed less of it to satisfy me than I would normally take from a human. If I brought you to orgasm while I fed, then I didn't need to find another source of blood, which was good because no blood can compare to yours. I became territorial. You were mine, and I didn't want you to become a vampire, so I set out to mold you into the ideal human mate. I was forced to reveal our sexual practices to Aro in order to justify your continued human state."

"Was it Aro?" I interrupted him.

"Yes," he said. "Aro insisted upon a demonstration, about the same time as your little temper tantrum."

"The ginger."

"It was very affective. I'd like to try it on you again sometime."

"That's why you were so desperate." I stared at his shirt, not wanting to comment on the ginger since I wasn't sure that I wanted to try that again.

"Aro refused to believe that I was only feeding from _you_. I needed to show him."

"You should have told me. If you'd cared at all, then you would have said something." A tear trickled down my cheek.

"Do you think that you would have relaxed enough knowing what was going to happen?" he asked.

"Perhaps not, but I wouldn't have fought, and he wouldn't have broken my collar bone."

"I regret that it was necessary, but I refuse to apologize for my actions. I acted in your best interest, which is more than you normally do," he spat, suddenly angry. This was the mercurial vampire with whom I was accustomed to cohabitating.

My eyes met his in a flash. I was outraged.

"You never should have agreed to be mine in the first place," he hissed.

"I'm sorry. I was saving an entire tribe."

"Are you sure about that?"

"It was an honorable way out of a difficult situation," I seethed.

Edward stood, and paced the length of the bed, pulling his hair in frustration.

"The thing about you, pet, is that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but you don't. You never make choices that benefit you."

He was gone before I could come back with a pithy retort.

I lay in bed and mulled over everything he'd just admitted. I was his mate, but he didn't seem to really want me. Then again, he didn't want anyone else to have me either. He also didn't want the baby, that was obvious. He was simply going along with it because this was my choice. I wondered why he didn't just force me into the decision that he obviously felt was right.

I pulled the fancy pregnancy pillow between my knees and rubbed my belly.

"I want you," I said. "I'm here for you even if no one else is, and I'll fight anyone who tries to hurt you." I'd never really thought of myself as being maternal. I wasn't one of those girls who stopped and cooed at babies or doted on children, but this baby, the one I was carrying, was my life. He deserved that much.

The usually comfortable bed felt spongy and too hot. I struggled to find a comfortable position, and then remembered my bladder because someone decided to use it as a soccer ball. I rolled myself to the edge and stood. I barely made it to the bathroom in time, but given the argument that Edward and I just had, I'm not sure that I would have cared if Edward had to clean urine out of his very expensive luxury carpet.

An interesting combination of hunger and nausea forced me down to the kitchen. I retrieved some olives, and a rare steak from the fridge before grabbing a bag of chocolate chips from the pantry. I flopped onto the couch, laid out my midnight snack, and flipped on the television. There was relatively little on TV. Eventually, I chose some vampire TV show based purely on the potential irony. I'd never seen it before, as I'd never had time for TV in the past.

My meal was a disappointment. The olives weren't salty enough, the steak wasn't fresh enough, and the chocolate chips were milk chocolate, which was just a waste of cocoa if you asked me. Someone settled on the other end of the couch.

It was Alice's mate.

"How did revenge work for you?" he drawled.

"I got some answers," I shrugged. "He explained more than I ever thought he would."

Someone breezed through the front door. My brain recognized the figure as Alice just as she dropped a Mountain Dew into my hand.

"Drink it fast," she chirped and sat down on Jasper's lap.

"Are you causin' trouble, darlin'?"

"Not if she drinks it quickly."

I popped the top and drank, not wanting to know what Alice was talking about. I did miss my old friend MD* though. I drank the whole twelve ounces in a few gulps. As soon as the can left my lips it disappeared. Alice was practically shredding the metal with her fingertips. She dropped it on my plate and whisked it off to the kitchen

"What was that about?" I asked.

"When it comes to Alice, it's best not to ask."

"You should probably head up to bed," Alice said from behind me.

"I'm not tired," I said.

"Suit yourself."

"Besides, you just gave me twelve ounces of caffeine and told me to chug it. I'm not going to sleep for a few hours," I protested.

"Oh, caffeine, that's why he's not going to like that… Exactly how bad is that for the baby?" Alice asked, looking more than a little sheepish.

"I um… I don't really know," I said and rubbed my belly. Belly rubbing could be quite addictive. "I think it's fine, but then again I don't really know that many people who've had babies."

"I bought you a book. Do you want me to go get it?" Alice bounced on the balls of her feet. I was about to answer when she shot up the stairs, presumably to retrieve it.

"Does she always do that?" I asked.

"All the time. You can't surprise her so don't even try. Alice will see any decision you make right after you make it," he explained. "Are you really watching this?"

"No, I just found it amusing… watching a vampire show whilst living with vampires."

"History channel okay with you?"

I nodded.

Alice glided down the stairs and settled next to me with the book. She flipped it open with one side resting on her leg and the other on mine, and reached over to hold Jasper's right hand with her left. They seemed to touch a lot. Her right hand deftly flipped the pages almost faster than I could track the movement. She landed on one and then smiled.

"We're fine!" She announced.

"Okay?"

"See, right here it says that you should limit your caffeine intake but that you can still have a soda or a cup of coffee." She pointed at a paragraph, gave me a few seconds to read it, and then closed the book.

"I wonder if any of that really applies though, given that this isn't exactly going to be a normal pregnancy." The baby suddenly started moving around. I poked at him and he pushed back.

"Can I feel?" Alice asked.

"Sure…"

Her cold hand rested on my stomach and she smiled as the baby moved around.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really," I said. "Sometimes he plays with my bladder and that's uncomfortable, but the squirming is actually quite nice. It lets me know that he's there and safe."

I felt a chill move up my spine and had the sense that we were being watched. I looked over Alice and Jasper's heads and saw Edward staring at us through the sliding glass doors onto the deck. I couldn't read his expression.

"We should find somewhere else to be," Jasper said quietly, and Alice nodded.

My eyes were locked onto Edward. The other two vampires vacated the room quickly and quietly. Edward slid the door open and stepped into the room.

"Why aren't you in bed?"

"This again?" I complained.

"It's late, you should be sleeping." The door slid closed with a click.

"You're the one who woke me up and wanted to talk," I protested.

He didn't even have the courtesy to look guilty.

"Did you eat?"

"A little. We need better pregnancy food."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

I detailed my issues with my meal, feeling kind of like a spoiled brat. I was complaining about nothing, but I really wanted cheap olives, expensive chocolate and fresh meat.

"Would venison suffice?" He asked.

I nodded.

"The chocolate I might be able to provide, but saltier olives are out of the question. You need to keep your blood pressure down."

"Please?" I asked sweetly.

"No, it's not good for you."

"I just want some cheap olives," I whined.

"Don't whine," he scolded.

"I'm not a child! I just want a jar of olives!"

"Calm yourself, pet."

"Stop calling me that," I growled and stood up, walking over to him.

He stepped closer to me, and suddenly we were In each others personal space, breathing the same air. He touched me and I shuddered. He was distracting me again. I could feel the pull between us, coaxing me into submission.

"We'll discuss this with Carlisle," he whispered into my ear.

"You're a bastard," I said, surrendering.

He kissed my forehead, and wrapped an arm around me.

"I'm going to protect you, even if it's from yourself," he said.

I sighed and allowed him to guide me up the stairs.

He settled me back into the bed, with way too many pillows propped around me, and expected me to go to sleep. He sat on the couch to make sure that I didn't get up and roam around. I tossed and turned for a long time, feeling the baby do the same.

Eventually, Edward took pity on me. He sat on the bed and read to me. His selection for the evening was Russian literature, which was one of the classes that he'd planned for me to take the following semester. I drifted off quickly.

**~EnP~**

I was running full speed through the forest. My breath was coming in short ragged bursts. I thought that my lungs would explode before I found safety. The humid air burned my throat. My stomach felt uncomfortably heavy and painful. My left arm was wrapped underneath it for support, and my right across the roundness to protect my baby.

A sharp pain in my back paired with a twinge in my belly forced me to a stop.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I cried as I dropped to the ground. I could go no further. My abdomen clenched. The pain built and peaked like cresting a wave in the ocean. Everything tightened, and I tried not to fight it. Fighting pain never resulted in relief. It faded away and I relaxed into the forest floor. The damp from the ground seeped into my clothing, chilling me.

Heavy footfalls sounded from behind me. I tried to pull myself back up to run away, but I was too slow. My pursuer knocked me to the ground. I only just managed to keep my stomach from touching the ground.

"No!" I shrieked as he flipped me over onto my back. "It's too late, you can't take her. She's mine and I love her."

A paw landed on my chest, anchoring me to the ground. I pushed on the joint in the monster's leg. He was too strong for me to dislodge him. His nose pushed uncomfortably on my belly. I grunted and tried to kick him.

I felt his teeth sink into the swell of my stomach.

I screamed myself awake.

Cold arms clenched around me in the darkness. I turned my head into Edward's chest, sobbing. He smoothed the hair back from my face.

"What is it?"

I pressed myself into him as closely as I could. My chest ached at the thought of something happening to my baby.

"Pet?"

I couldn't form words. The dream felt so real. I ran my hand over my bump to reassure myself that he was still there. In my dream he'd been a girl, perhaps he was.

"Bella?"

I began shaking uncontrollably. The teeth, Jacob's teeth, felt so real.

"He was going to kill her," I whispered.

Edward swiftly readjusted our position so that he could look at me. His brow furrowed.

"Who?"

"Jacob," I croaked.

"Who was Jacob going to kill?" he coaxed.

"My baby." Another tear spilled over my lashes and slid down my cheek. "She was coming and he wanted to destroy her."

Edward pulled my head back down to his chest and held me close.

"I can't lose her," I sobbed.

"I'll kill him first," Edward growled. He started to set me down but I clung to him.

"No, stay, you can't leave me," I protested.

**~EnP~**

He held me until dawn when I finally crawled off of his lap.

"Better now?"

"A little." Things always seemed less scary in the light of day.

"Good, because we have a problem. Aro is here," he gritted his teeth. "You will remain here."

"Will I?" I asked, intentionally being a bit cheeky.

"Unless you wish to visit Italy as a prisoner…"

"No, I really don't care to visit Italy, thank you," I smirked.

"Bella, this is serious. If Aro discovers that you've become a half vampire hybrid or that you're pregnant with my child, there will be no stopping him. He will have you and the baby." Edward explained. "If anyone touches him, he will know."

I shivered in revulsion. I was pretty sure what 'having me' would entail since he'd been interested in our feeding arrangement.

"You will remain here," he verified.

"I will."

"Good. I will return with your lunch, pet."

I rolled my eyes at the name.

"I will be informing him that the treaty is intact, as you've returned to me and accepted punishment. I am also using your punishment as an excuse not to present you to him."

"Why are you telling me this?" I leaned back on the bed.

He scrunched his eyebrows together. "You wanted me to be honest with you. I'm not withholding any important information."

I nodded.

He kissed me on the forehead and then slid off the bed. When he left the room I freed myself from the cocoon of blankets I'd been wrapped in, and looked around. I hadn't had breakfast and there was nothing in the room to eat. I briefly considered disobeying his wishes and venturing downstairs for food. I placed my hand on the doorknob and my ear to the door just as a set of knuckles rapped on the other side. I jumped and rubbed my ear before opening the door. Esme stood on the other side with a tray. It was laden with more food than any human should really eat at a sitting.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want to eat," she smiled, and stepped past me.

"Thank you," I said.

"It's no trouble, really," she said and placed the tray on the coffee table. "I don't want to be rude, but I have to go." She wrung her hands.

"Thank you, Esme."

She quickly left the room and went downstairs. I snatched a sandwich off the tray and sat down with my ear to the door. I hoped that I would be able to hear the meeting downstairs if they spoke normally. I gnawed on the crust of my sandwich and settled in to eavesdrop.

It was then, straining to hear the murmur of voices downstairs, Edward's words suddenly struck me. 'I'm not withholding any _important_ information.'

Exactly what did Edward Cullen construe as unimportant?

* * *

**End Note:**

*MD – Mountain Dew

One of these days I shall show you aleighy's notes, because she's a trip.

Sorry for the delay, as it turns out toddlers are pretty busy.


	15. Brothel

**A/n:** At long last, another chapter. Thanks to Mistress Maleficentknits and Aleighy, my unfailing support in all things dark and pervy. I'm going to be a diva and not recap – sorry.

* * *

I pressed my ear to the bedroom door and listened very carefully.

"Dearest Carlisle, how good to see you," Aro crooned.

I could feel my stomach clench. He was frightening.

"Aro," Carlisle acknowledged him coolly. I could feel the tension from the room below snake up the stairs like a fog of noxious gas. I was practically choking on it.

"We've come to discuss our arrangement with Edward."

"Everything is in order. My _pet_, Isabella, has been returned to me. There is no need for interference," Edward explained.

"There most certainly is need, dear boy," Aro growled. "You must change her or drain her."

"Please pardon me, but we agreed as I am using her as a continuing food source-"

"We agreed to a demonstration!" Aro shouted.

"A demonstration which you sabotaged…!" Edward fired back.

"I did no such-"

"I need her docile and compliant for feeding to work, Aro. Do you think I'm feeding on animals for fun? You broke her collarbone. Do you realize how long it takes a human collarbone to heal?"

"Your pet struggled. I moved to assist you in restraining her," Aro snapped.

I remembered that night as they discussed it. I could feel Edward inside of me, the tingly almost high of the two of us together, the oddly exhilarating feeling of being watched… and the jarring cold sensation of someone behind me.

Skin tearing.

Bones cracking.

The wrong kind of pain.

A tremor moved through me. I clasped my hands to force them into stillness.

The shouting down below became louder. I scooted away from the door. I'd heard enough. I didn't want to think about what was going to happen to me, or Edward. If something happened to him, then I was a goner. Aro would discover me and my unnatural half-vampireness along with the baby. What would happen to the baby? Would I be allowed to keep it? Would he or she be stripped away like everyone else?

I started rocking back and forth, rolling from side to side ever so slightly. Why couldn't a human boy have fallen for me? It would have been so much simpler.

Boy meets girl. Boy stays in Biology class and impresses girl with stupid jokes. Boy asks girl to dance. Boy does not go psychotic and start a war.

I didn't think I was asking for much.

Fate hated me.

I was fate's bitch.

My best friend and first boyfriend was a werewolf. The boy I loved was a hundred or so years old and a vampire, whom I just so happened to throw off of the vegetarian wagon. Then there was the matter of the creepy vampire army downstairs demanding my death one way or another.

"A brothel!" Carlisle's shout jarred me. Had he just scream the word brothel? I had to be mistaken.

"Yes, that's the idea, we've acquired several humans to use in this manner, but none have survived mating, much less feeding," Aro said indignantly.

"They're human, you can't fuck them like you would another vampire."

I felt bile rising in my throat. Aro had tried to recreate our circumstances. I tried not to imagine the broken bodies of the women he'd likely kidnapped.

"We are aware, and have shown restraint. If you want to continue using her as a food source, your Isabella must teach these humans how to submit to a vampire."

I looked around the room frantically for something to vomit into. I found a bath towel within reach, and grabbed it just in time. I retched repeatedly until my stomach was completely empty. Aro wanted me to train his whores.

"Respectfully, Aro, I doubt that members of your guard are able to show the restraint that Edward does with Bella-"Alice was cut off abruptly.

"How dare you?"

I heard snarling and growling.

"Jasper," Alice said quietly, trying to calm her mate.

"Aro, you will refrain from touching members of my coven," Carlisle's voice was strained.

"I am not in the habit of repeating myself. The human slave, Isabella is to come to Volterra and teach our slaves to be docile."

"Isabella is unable to perform such a task, as her arm has not yet healed," Edward seethed.

"How long will it take?"

"A minimum of ten weeks," Carlisle volunteered.

"Well, it's already been three. In seven weeks I expect you to return to Volterra with the human," Aro demanded.

"And if I do not?" Edward asked, venom seeping into his voice.

"Do not try my patience, boy; you will lose."

The door slammed, and I heard vehicles starting outside.

Edward was in front of me within seconds. He wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed. I couldn't go to Volterra and lead women to their deaths. There was no way I could teach them to survive intercourse with a vampire.

"I can't," I cried. "I can't do it."

Edward held me closer.

"Shhhh, pet, hush. I will find a way out of this."

"How?" I sobbed. The baby rolled and kicked. "Those women." I shuddered. I fought the image of broken bodies at the back of my mind.

"Don't think about it," he whispered.

"It's our fault."

"It's my fault," Edward murmured into my hair. "You had nothing to do with this, pet. I was trying to keep you human."

"So you could feed," I sighed.

"No, because I didn't want you to be one of us."

His confession shocked me. Then it occurred to me, he wouldn't be able to dominate me so thoroughly as a vampire. I would be able to break ropes and fight him. I nodded, and felt more tears slide down my cheeks. It made perfect sense. I started to worry because I wasn't human anymore, not completely. He was going to replace me. I wiped my eyes and pulled away. It would be better if I wasn't so clingy.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, calmly.

"I'm going to protect you," he said.

"I'm not worried about me," I said. It wasn't entirely truthful. I was worried about myself. "The women, Aro's slaves… it's terrible."

"There's nothing to be done," he sighed.

"We have to save them," I said.

"Bella," he growled.

"No, he's going to keep raping and killing them…" I was horrified that he would be willing to leave others to such a terrible fate.

He pulled me closer and ran his hands through my hair.

"Aro cannot see you again. If he knows about your transition and the pregnancy, he will never let you go."

"Would he trade?" I asked. The words were out of my mouth before I'd fully considered them. If I was valuable, perhaps I was valuable enough to Aro to save them. Edward could have someone else as his pet. Edward wasn't all bad, and he had to be a better master than Aro. Aro didn't seem to care, but Edward had always taken care of my needs. I would be sad to leave him, but if Edward wanted a human…

"Pet," Edward said, shocked.

"I will go to Volterra, after the baby is born, and stay with him if he will release the human slaves. He can't have my baby!"

"Bella…"

"Aro cannot know about the baby, especially if she's a girl. You have to keep her safe." I said placing my hands on my belly. There was no telling what demented things Aro would do if I had a daughter.

"This is out of the question," Edward growled.

"I can't let him hurt anyone else."

"No!" He shouted and flung me onto the bed.

I stopped talking.

"You will not go to Volterra."

He stalked toward me, removing his belt.

I didn't move a muscle. I could feel a small surge of excitement course through me. I wasn't sure exactly why making him angry excited me. He was sexy in his anger. I wanted him. He grabbed me by the shirt and whipped it off over my head.

He folded the belt in half and flipped me over onto all fours. His hands slipped my pants and underwear down. He brought the leather belt down on my ass and I moaned. It stung and burned. He continued to smack me with it until I felt like he would never stop.

"Oh, please," I whimpered.

The belt flew across the room, breaking something where it struck the shelves. Edward's fingers were suddenly buried in me. They rubbed that spot inside, right where I needed him. His fingers weren't enough.

"More, more, more, more, more," I chanted.

His fingers were gone, and I felt painfully empty.

"Noooo," I whined.

Then, with one forceful thrust, he was inside.

"Uh, yes," I sighed.

He moved hard and fast. I came right to the brink of orgasm and he stopped.

I started crying again.

"You will not leave me," he growled, and grasped the back of my neck. His cold fingers sunk into my flesh. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me up so that his front was flush against my back. The hand around my neck slid down and around me to my breasts. He squeezed them and rubbed my nipples in turn. I desperately tried to rock up away from him for some friction, but he held me steady.

"Please," I begged.

"Do you still want to leave me? Do you want to become a plaything for Aro and his guard, to be their whore?"

I shook my head.

Edward started moving slowly, rolling his hips up into mine.

"You're not a whore," he whispered. "It matters to you who's buried inside you."

I nodded, and he rolled my nipple. I gasped and rocked. He stopped me.

"You want me, and only me."

"Only you." He slid a hand down and rubbed my clit, causing me to buck violently.

"They will never give you what I can."

I was shaking uncontrollably.

"You're my pet, not theirs, never theirs."

He thrust hard upward, and I gasped.

"Say it," he grunted.

"I'm your pet," I wailed. "Always yours, always, always…"

He picked up the pace and let my orgasm crash over me. I felt my muscles squeezing him, hard, and then the pulse and cold of his release inside of me. He slid out of me, wet and messy.

Edward turned me around to look in my eyes.

"Mine," he growled.

I nodded.

He was starting to harden again under me. His tip slid between my lips and found my clitoris. I moaned. He smiled, and twitched against me. I shivered. He leaned me back so that my upper body was on the bed, my legs were around his hips. He pushed in again, and fucked me until I didn't have a coherent thought left in my head, except that I was his. We were back to this, I was always his.

I was shaking and completely spent when he shifted to lay me down on my side. He laid down behind me and continued to carefully finger me until I slept.

I woke up to an orgasm. My sleepy eyes met his.

"I think the baby likes it," he whispered.

"Huh?" I asked.

"He gets still," Edward explained. "I think the contractions rock him to sleep."

"You're telling me that you're fingering me in my sleep for the baby's sake?"

"Yes."

"But it wakes me up," I complained.

"You like it," he responded, shifting downward. He was going to replace his hands with his mouth.

"Stop," I whined before his mouth made contact with me.

He licked my lower lips.

"Just cleaning you up," he explained.

My stomach growled.

His smile grew mischievous. "You needed to wake up anyway."

He helped me sit up. My stomach rolled, and I could feel bile rising up in the back of my throat.

"I don't feel good," I said shakily.

"I'll get you some food," he said and rushed out of the room. He returned with bread, cheese, and a glass of milk. I vomited bile just looking at it. Edward wiped me down with a warm, wet cloth.

"Ginger ale?" he asked.

My stomach rolled again. It burned.

"No."

"What do you need?"

"Something salty," I said. "Something salty and warm."

He brought me broth. I kept it down for a minute, before Edward was washing me again. The burn from my stomach seemed to be spreading.

"We need to get some food into you."

"I can't," I said, clutching my stomach, barely able to speak.

Edward disappeared and came back with Carlisle. I was still naked, but I didn't care.

Carlisle touched my forehead and my stomach. He sniffed me. Then, he swiftly stabbed a needle into my arm, trying to draw blood. He could only draw a tiny sample, and it didn't look red.

Carlisle and Edward exchanged a panicked look. Carlisle ran for the door. Edward was starting an IV in my arm.

"We're going to give you a transfusion," Edward explained.

Carlisle was back with blood as soon as the needle was taped down. He connected the bag to the tube, and I made a weak, inexplicable grab for it. Edward held me down. I thrashed against him. The bag of blood called to me. I had to have it.

"Edward?"

"No, I haven't given her anymore venom. I didn't touch the cut with my mouth."

I could feel the blood entering my veins. It was soothing, but I was still struggling. I could smell the blood in the bag, and it smelled good. I _wanted_ it.

"Blood," I grunted.

"Bella, stop fighting me."

"Want blood."

"Carlisle, give me the second bag."

"Edward…"

"Do it."

Edward opened the tubing on the bag and slipped the end into my mouth. I sucked at it greedily. It wasn't warm but the blood slid down my throat easily, coated it, and made my stomach stop churning. The burning from my belly stopped.

My body relaxed.

Edward didn't release me. He was waiting for me to fight again.

"The baby was thirsty," I sighed.

Edward's hands loosened. He leaned back and looked at Carlisle.

"It's not a bad theory," Edward said.

"Bella, I want to check your blood for changes regularly," Carlisle said.

I nodded.

Carlisle left the room. Edward released me and wrapped me in a blanket.

"Do you want some food, now?"

I nodded and Edward went to get me some food. I carried the bag of blood attached to my arm over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants. I pulled them on, and looked for a shirt. Getting my arm and the bloodbag into a shirt was going to be difficult. I grabbed a Tee and some scissors. The fabric cut smoothly, and I could get it on after cutting the side and the top of the sleeve. I slid into it sideways and taped the side around my abdomen.

"Creative," Edward said when he returned with a tray.

He sat with me while I ate. Everything went down smoothly and stayed there. He breathed a sigh of relief. My vampire was worried about me. He pulled me into his lap.

"That was scary and it's not even the most frightening thing to happen today," I said.

"Whatever it takes, I will keep you safe," he whispered.

* * *

**End Note:**

Yeah, he spanked her, but I think it was his coping mechanism, and she didn't seem to mind. Also… ::sigh:: vampire recovery time puts mortal men to shame. Although, a glass dildo is probably a good substitute.

So... Aro... we're going to have to do something about him. I'm thinking Rosalie, time, and some titanium restraints might fix that.


End file.
